Taxi
by Angkeats
Summary: Troy Bolton is just a simple Taxi driver- or is he? Gabriella Montez is a normal working girl. Or is she? Two different worlds collide when Troy meets Gabriella, the mysterious Latino...
1. Fourth on Main

Hey everyone old and new etc etc, thanks so much for following me and my work and commenting/reviewing too :)

So I'm doing something different with this- I'm doing short chapters but updating DAILY. This story has been posted on in case anyone recognises it and I've changed it to Troyella for this forum.

I know some people won't be able to read & review daily so just catch up when/if you can :)

Thanks !

1

"Where to?"

His lips curled up into a smile, but only his startling blue eyes were visible in the rear-view mirror.

He flicked a look over his customer, a petite Filipino girl who had just bundled into his cab, her shapely legs crossing demurely.

"Fourth on main, please." She instructed, brushing her long, dark straight hair back from her face and revealing her striking face. High cheeks, huge, chocolate eyes with big black lashes and bowed, lush lips.

He smirked and twisted in his seat, perching his elbow on the passenger seat.

"Are you kidding, sweetheart?" He asked.

She pressed her lips together and revealed her dimple. "Do I look like I'm kidding?"

He lifted his brows and ran his thumb over his forehead. His short, brown hair was longer on the fringe and messily spiked upward, styled only by his fingers.

"You do know it's hell down there?" He enquired, his keen blue eyes rolling down her figure and making her blush.

"You can drop me on third." She offered.

He shrugged and put the car into drive and indicated out into the traffic.

"So…you off to work?" He asked as he queued at a traffic light, looking in his rear mirror to find her twiddling her hair round her finger and staring out of the window. He expected to see her working off a blackberry like the other office jobbers he picked up in his cab.

"Yup." She agreed succinctly, lifting her gaze to meet his in the mirror, the blueness of his eyes penetrating hers.

"You sound real happy." He mused, running a toothpick into his mouth.

"Well I don't expect your life ambition was to drive a taxi." She remarked.

He grinned, his smile flashing in the small reflection they were using to communicate.

"It wouldn't break your face to smile." He said instead, silently appreciating her sass.

Her cold stare told him to shush so he focused back on the road until the next pause in traffic.

"Do you take bookings?" She asked.

He shrugged again. "Sure."

"Can you pick me up at seven?" She wondered.

"Sure thing." He nodded.

"Can you come to the foyer of Lautner & George?" She wondered.

That caught his intrigue. "Are you being stalked?" He wondered amusedly.

Her dark eyes shot up at his deduction.

"Not exactly." She replied. "Can you do it or not?" She added more impatiently.

"Sure, seeing as you asked so nicely…" He muttered, tonguing the wooden pick from one side of his mouth to the other.

"I'm sorry." She offered sheepishly. "I didn't mean to sound rude."

"I'm used to it." He mused drily, excusing her previous tone.

"You shouldn't be." She commented quietly.

He flicked her another look. "Comes with the territory."

"You're still a person." She argued.

And then he realised how much he judged his own clients. The suits. The drunks. The shoppers.

But his favourite part of the job was talking to them finding differences or similarities.

"So are you," he smiled, an amused grin playing on his lips.

"Cute." She arched her brow.

"Okay here we are…" He swung across the road onto third, sighing at the traffic blocking fourth avenue. "Sorry you had to walk, that's ten dollars…" He quoted.

"There you go…" She tipped him and got out. "See you at seven!" She called.

"Wait, what's your…" He called in return, and then sighed as the door slammed shut. "…Name?" He murmured to himself.


	2. Can I Help you

Thanks for the reviews everyone- keep posting when you can!

Thank you

Ang

2

"Can I help you?"

The neat, sleek blonde asked Troy as he sauntered up to the reception desk of Lautner & George.

He ran a nervous hand through his messy hair and rubbed it down his neck. "Ah…I'm here for a short, Latino girl…" He described sheepishly.

The blonde looked all the way down her nose at him, wrinkling it at his jeans and t-shirt.

"Does she know you're coming?" She asked disdainfully, making him smirk at her judgement of him.

"Yeah…she booked a cab…" He embellished.

"Ok, one moment, please." The woman said, then pressed a button on her phone pad, speaking into her head set quietly to announce his arrival.

He drummed his fingers on the shiny surface of the reception desk, looking around the plush, glass foyer of her workplace and marvelling at the grandness of it all.

When he turned back to the blonde, she was eyeing his fingers with annoyance.

"You can wait over there…" She pointed to the farthest sofa.

He quirked a brow and pushed up from where he leaned, ambling over and crashing into the soft leather cushions.

A few moments later, the small, dark beauty appeared, striding across the shiny floor in her t-bar court shoes and her grey formal dress.

"I'm sorry I'm late…" She offered with a flustered frown. "I'll pay for the time you waited."

"It's not a problem…" He assured, rising quickly to go ahead of her and hold the door for her.

"A gentleman…" Her brows rose as she smiled slightly.

"Don't look so surprised." He teased, waving to the blonde receptionist. "I think Brenda likes me." He added sarcastically.

Gabi turned her face up to him before she got into his taxi. "I'll bet." She remarked.

"So, what do I call you?" Troy wondered as he got comfy in the driver's seat.

"What do you mean?" She asked, distracted by her blackberry.

"I mean, if this is going to be a regular thing…" He guessed, half hoped and nearly prayed it would be.

"You're presuming a lot…" She leaned forward and squinted at his name tag on the dash. "Troy Bolton."

"Now you know my name and I don't know yours," his brow lifted and she caught it in the mirror.

"You can call me Gabi." She supplied.

"Gabi…" He tested the name, smiling. "So am I bulk booking?" He checked.

"I do take a cab every day…" She considered, flinging her hair over her shoulder and sinking into the back seat with a sigh as they hit rush hour jam.

"And you are being stalked…" He teased with a grin, reaching for a toothpick in his boredom.

She slipped her shoes off and arched her feet, wincing at the ache her heels afforded.

"Ow…" She moaned lightly.

"What's up?" He wondered, looking into the rear mirror, awarded with the sight of her legs.

"My feet are killing me…" She explained.

"Foot rub?" He offered with a warm voice that she looked up at.

"No, thanks." She declined, making him hide his smile.

"Sorry." He offered, rubbing his fingers through his hair as he stretched his arms above his head, touching the roof of the car.

"What is with this traffic?" She wondered, looking through the two seats ahead of them.

"Everybody wants to be in the same place." Troy narrated, tipping his head to look at her. "You're the high flyer…" He mused.

"It doesn't mean I like it." She retorted with a concerned look.

"What does that mean?" He wondered.

"Well, sometimes it's not all it seems. Sometimes wanting it all comes at a price…" She hedged, his blue eyes steadily gazing into hers.

"What kind of price?" He enquired, intrigued.

She sighed. "You don't want to know."

"Well I kinda _do _now that you brought it up…" He grinned lopsidedly.

"You can't handle it." She decided of him and he actually felt a little insulted.

"Try me." He challenged.

"Okay…" She thought before she spoke. "What do you do if your boss asks you to have an affair?" She wondered out loud.

"Wow." He whooshed out a breath, surprised by her sudden confidence.

She blushed pink and sat back. "See, I knew it."

"Hey, just give me a minute…" Troy argued.

"Fine, a minute, now what would you do?" She asked again.

"I…well…uhh…I guess it depends on a few things…" Troy stuttered.

"Like?" She wondered, tipping her own face to garner more info.

"Like…are you attracted to him? Is he single?" He offered, thinking these might be obvious questions to ask.

"No and No." She supplied, then twisted her lips. "Can I sit up there?" She asked.

He nodded vacantly, still coming to terms with her sudden barrier breaking. She scooted through the small space between the chairs and leaned back in the passenger seat.

"He wants to promote me…if I sleep with him." She explained. "I know, it's such a cliché…" She rolled her eyes before he could open his mouth. "But I just got to LA and this is my _big break, _you know? I never thought of myself as the kind of girl who could…" She paused, thinking for the words.

"Sleep your way to the top?" He interjected honestly.

She gave him a patient stare. "Who could even _think _about such a proposal…but…" She paused again.

"Look, lady, I'm not a life counsellor or anything…" He began, panicking.

"What would _you _do?" She asked openly.

"Wow…" He let out another shocked breath. "My boss is a guy so…" He shrugged.

"I mean…imagine…" She begged.

"I couldn't." He stated softly, sure of his answer.

"Mmm, me neither…" She admitted, her brown eyes testily meeting his; as if just realising then she had let her guard down.

"Then you need a new job." Troy suggested, taking his toothpick out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry if I just came out with that…" She frowned worriedly.

"It's ok." He shrugged easily, smiling as the traffic started moving.

"I thought maybe you'd be like a barman- good at listening." She suggested.

"Well, so I'm told…" He flicked her a grin.

"He's the one who's following me…" She offered then, shyly, making him gulp in surprise for the third time in ten minutes.

"Oh…" Troy nodded.

"And I'm hoping if he sees me being picked up by a guy…at night…he might think I'm dating." She shrugged.

"You could date a hundred guys!" He burst out, then frowned at how it sounded. "I mean…rather than pretend to date me."

"But they won't give me a ride home, will they?" She argued with a little smile.

"I can bet my ass they would." Troy retaliated.

"Not without wanting something in return." She pointed out. "And that I'm not willing to give."

He nodded, wiping the sweat off his upper lip at the crazy situation he was landed in with the gorgeous girl at his side.

Yesterday, he was just a cabbie looking for a customer and now, suddenly, he was being drawn into a very strange game.

"He's not gonna believe you're dating a cabbie." Troy said derisively.

"Why not?" She asked with innocent interest.

"Gabi…look at you…" He shook his head softly. "And look at me…"

She did, and pursed her lips. "Tall, dark and handsome, it's a winner."

He turned his head to fully look at her, snapping it back to the road ahead.

"Did you shoot up or something in the back, because I don't take druggies?" He enquired confusedly.

She actually laughed at him, her eyes crinkling and her teeth flashing. "You can't even accept that you're cute and I want to use you as cover?"

"What are you asking me? To be your chauffeur? To pretend to be your boyfriend? To date you? I don't get it…" He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he pulled up at her apartment.

"I'm asking you to rescue a damsel in distress…" She answered mysteriously and handed him twice the fare, reaching behind her for her shoes and bag before hopping out, once again leaving him speechless.

"Wait!" He called, right before she closed the door.

"Pick me up at seven am." She said, then ended their contact by shutting the door.

"But…" He sighed into the car, shaking his head as he pulled away.


	3. Too good to be true

Thanks for the comments!

3.

"Good morning, Troy." Gabi greeted with a happy smile, holding two paper coffee cups; passing one to him. "This is for you…"

"You got me coffee?" He looked bewildered.

"White, cream, one sugar. Is that ok?" She asked.

"Yeah, but…" He frowned.

"I'm not buttering you up if that's what you think." She said outright.

"Okay, well that's good. I'm not sure I fancy my chances against this boss guy of yours…" He mused, pulling into the road.

"He's just…clingy." She described, going quiet and looking out of the window again.

"So…how come you have a long day working 'til 7?" He asked conversationally, winding through traffic, earning a few honks.

She shrugged. "I was trying to prove I'm good enough for promotion, obviously that's not going to matter now…"

"So, why don't you let me take you out tonight, for a drink, for real?" He asked, arching a brow as he shot her a sideways look.

Gabi could think of a few 'why nots' but none of them matched up to her fierce curiosity about her new chauffeur.

"Okay." She agreed.

"Not for show, not for your boss, just you and me?" He checked.

"Yup." She nodded in agreement right as he pulled up on third avenue.

"Okay, see you after work, what time do you finish?" He asked.

"I'll make my own way home; just get me tonight at eight." She instructed.

Troy pulled up in his own car, an Audi that he had saved months for, and waited for Gabi to show. He kind of thought she might bail on him and change her mind but no, there she was; sashaying down the path in skinny jeans with calf boots and a long vest top in black with a little fringed waistcoat.

He got out to open her door and he smiled, tucking his hands into his pockets as he perused her.

"You look great." He complimented, noting the difference of her curly hair. "Your hair looks nice." He added awkwardly.

"You know…" She said, looking him up and down. "You look _so _different out of your work clothes…"

He had chosen his own skinny jeans and converse, with a t-shirt and jacket over the top to try and add some formality.

"Erm, thanks?" He guessed cutely.

She smiled and slid into his car.

"Not the day car…" She commented.

"Nope." He grinned, driving them to the bar.

"It's…nice." She complimented.

He slid his gaze sideways, feeling for one moment, a flash of distrust.

"Looks good for lover boy, huh?" He wondered.

Gabi felt the shame wash her cheeks at his accusation and she didn't blame him. She still punished herself for ever confiding in him, but it was too late to go back now.

"I thought tonight was about us?" She returned confidently, her feline eyes flicking up to him.

He didn't comment, just parked the car for valet and came around to help her out.

"The lady's choice…Mario's…" He narrated of the swish bar in town. It was about as far from her work place as they could get but she had been there before, several times, with clients and with friends.

"You'll like it…" She smiled, leading him in as he politely let her go first, leaning on the bar to order as the noisy, dark room swallowed them.

"What are you having?" He asked, a little loud.

"Martini!" She called back, drawing a derisive grin from him.

"Oh, please…" He rolled his eyes.

"What?" She asked back, innocently.

"You should try a dirty margarita; you don't know what you're missing…" He grinned.

"Fine, I'll have one of those, then." She agreed easily.

He ordered their drinks and they gravitated to a small perch table, resting their drinks and meeting each other's gaze shyly.

"So…" Troy began awkwardly, rubbing his thumb across his lower lip.

"So." Gabi returned, waiting.

"What is it you do, exactly?" He wondered.

She smiled as she felt comfort wash over her with the subject matter he had chosen to discuss and she detailed her job easily, pausing as his smile curled upward on his handsome face.

His blue eyes were laughing and his clean-shaven face afforded a striking view. Several women had already thrown looks his way and she felt something like jealousy streak through her.

"What's funny?" She asked, tipping her head so her curls trailed down one arm.

"No, nothing…" He mused, pursing his lips and sipping his drink to hide his amusement.

"Seriously, Troy." She pursued.

"I…I just don't know how you do it…eight hours a day in the same place…with all those _suits_." He shrugged.

"I want to be an editor. It kinda comes with the territory." She shrugged. "Anyway, you're stuck in a car the whole day…" She turned the topic back to him.

"Yeah but I meet all kinds…and travel all places…it's…educational." He described with that warm smile she was beginning to like.

"Did you always want to drive?" She wondered conversationally, drawing one of his eye squints.

"Not much of an ambition, huh?" He asked.

"I didn't mean…" She frowned.

"I know." He flashed a grin. "Chill, princess."

He licked his lips as he thought about his answer and finally formed words that would make sense to a stranger.

"I had ambition, once, to be something more. But you know, I guess I screwed up and this is the best I can hope for." He pressed his lips in.

"Screwed up how?" She wondered, intrigued.

His blue eyes flicked to hers under dark lashes, testing if he could trust her. She gasped at the intensity of his stare, feeling somehow excited at his next words.

"Embezzlement." He quipped, lifting his brows for her response.

He drained his drink, waiting for the inevitable let down.

"Oh." She said, confused. "You were a businessman, then?"

He was surprised at her continuous interest but he humoured her.

"Yep. Architect. Wanted to make my own business, filtered funds from the company I worked for to set up my own brand." He said lightly, contrasting the seriousness of his crime.

"You got caught." She realised.

He nodded, rolled his eyes around the room. "Did some time, too." He added.

Her brown eyes met his without judgement, just pure fascination at his ease to share such information of himself.

"I'm guessing this is a test," she smiled slowly.

"Nope." He shrugged guardedly. "Just no point me hiding it because you will find out sooner or later and trust me, the reaction I usually get is not all that pretty."

She licked her lips and met his gaze. "I was arrested when I was sixteen for indecent exposure." She offered, flushing as his gaze swept down her body.

"I'd hardly call that indecent." He suggested of her figure.

She pursed her mouth patiently. "For streaking at a fur show in protest." She added.

He chuckled, genuinely amused and even a little touched at her admission.

"You sure don't seem like the usual business woman." He shook his head.

She shrugged, seemingly complimented by his words because she smiled. "Thank you."

"Hey, wanna dance?" He wondered, holding out his hand.

"Sure." She took it and moved to the beat opposite him, surprised at his ability to groove.

"Wow, you're good!" She called, impressed.

"I learnt it inside." He smiled back, making her giggle.

"I'm sure!" She returned good naturedly.

"Hey, some guy over there is checking you out…" He frowned, clocking an older man, in his mid forties, staring right at Gabi's backside from the side of the dance floor.

She flicked her head round then flicked it back as quickly, her colour draining.

"Oh my god it's him!" She said and a trickling fear ran down her body.

Troy felt a worming realisation work up his body at the very same moment and he cocked his head bemusedly.

"You knew he was gonna be here?" He asked, almost hurt.

"No!" She argued, meeting his eyes.

He squinted at her and pressed his lips in.

"It was your choice to come here."

"I didn't know, I swear!" She begged, now frightened at being left with her boss if he walked out on her.

"I should have known…" He tensed before he shouldered by her and headed for the door.

"Should have known it was too good to be true…" He muttered to himself toward the doorway, Gabi catching the words as she agilely avoided her boss and followed him.

"Don't you dare do that!" She said to him as he hit the cold air and she tumbled out of the club in fast pursuit.

He paused, his breath coming out in clouds of white smoke as he smiled lopsidedly into the parking lot and lifted his eyes to the heavens.

"Just go back to your neat little life, princess." He suggested, digging his hands into his pockets.

"You mean I don't even get a ride home?" She accused. "I thought you were a gentleman?"

He turned to her then, took in her stance, her clear emotions, wondering how she could really give a crap when they barely knew each other.

"You coulda been straight with me, lady. I probably would have done it, too." He mused.

"I _was _being straight with you. I told you he was following me…" She explained.

And then it clicked. The cold fear in her eyes showed that she was telling the truth. He really had shown up there uninvited. But where did that leave them?

He sighed, closed his eyes and regretted his words before he even spoke them.

"Do you want a ride home?" He asked.

"Yes, please." She answered, coming closer to him.

He nodded and turned, heading the way back to the car, helping her in before driving them back to her apartment, the air thick with their silence.

"Troy…" She hedged nervously, twisting her fingers in her lap.

"Mm?" He frowned, his dark brows furrowing together.

"Would you come in for a coffee?" She pleaded and it amused him how she asked the question.

He tipped his head and twisted in his seat. "Does he come to your apartment?"

"No…I mean, I don't know…sometimes…sometimes I hear people outside. Sometimes he's left a note on my door…" She hedged.

"Jeez, he really is stalking you…" He realised quickly.

"I have friends who can come by…but…" She paused, meeting his blue eyes.

"They're not big, strong guys like me?" He asked amusedly.

"Exactly." She mused sadly.

"A guy could get an ego or a confidence crisis with you…" He commented, twisting his key to kill his engine.

"I want you to come in for coffee, Troy. If you being there makes me feel safe, too, then it's a bonus." She assured.

He sighed. "Okay, let's go"


	4. Staying the night

Ok it might seem rushed. Or might not. But just sayin'.

Ang

4.

It was a bottom floor apartment, only having three floors in total and two seemingly missing occupants.

"Kalina is in New Zealand for two months and the top one has been empty since I moved here…" She ran commentary as she showed him around the beautiful space and he toured with his hands in his pockets.

"Make your self at home on the couch…" She invited, heading for the kitchen with frazzled nerves.

Once out of his sight and away from the bustle of the club, she sighed and leaned on the counter, truly frightened by Denzel's tracking of her.

Troy was right, though. She couldn't use him as a body guard, she would have to leave Lautner & George, right away and report him to the authorities.

_Goodbye dream job._

Troy leaned in the kitchen doorway and studied her pose, head in hand, small body curled inward and her sigh loud and stressed.

"He won't get to you while I'm here, I promise." He offered in a low husk, bringing her gaze up.

She smiled a teeny smile from one corner of her mouth as something like gratitude flitted across her face.

"I appreciate your help." She approved.

He folded his arms, then unfolded them and started toward her, pausing in front of her.

"What does he tape to your door?" He wondered.

"Notes." She shrugged awkwardly.

"Saying?" He pushed.

"How he wants to…" Her face twisted, kicking a feeling deep in his tummy that he didn't like.

"Has he ever touched you?" He asked then, starkly, concerned for her.

"No…" She admitted, relief flooding her. "But those words…"

"Hey…" He lifted up his hands and cupped her cheeks though he barely felt he had the right to do so. "It's just words, okay?"

She wanted to nod as his gaze captured hers, but she was afraid to break the contact. He had such large, comforting hands, she didn't want him to let go just yet.

She studied his face, his cute nose, his big brows, his strong jaw and those amazing eyelashes that guarded his sky-eyes.

"You have nice lips." She stated randomly, frowning at her outburst, blushing as he lifted his brows and smiled at her.

He dropped one hand to brush knuckles down her cheek. "You have nice everything."

Was it the stress? The emotions she had been riding the last few days?

Maybe it was the danger. The lure of doing something absolutely wrong?

Whatever it was, she was kissing him and cupping his face with her own hands as they greedily came together, their lips not gaining enough of each other as they fought for intimacy.

He moaned as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and brought her tight against him, his tongue delving into her ready mouth as they both dropped caution to the wind and embraced in her kitchen.

"Oh…" She whimpered as she broke their kiss upon his hands reaching her backside and pulling her roughly into his arousal.

"No romance here, princess…" He warned with a rough husk into her ear, suckling her neck in contrast to his words.

"Take it off…" She decided of his jacket, stripping that and his t-shirt equally quickly, stunned by the sight of his muscled torso. He was everything she was not- hard, angled, defined…strong.

She didn't let reason reign as her hands ran up the naked expanse of his upper body, accepting his mouth back to hers, backing up to the counter and gently crying out as she met the surface, pressed into his heat once more.

She wanted him, she couldn't deny it, she felt it deep inside as he trapped her against the work top and she gladly parted her knees to allow his thigh between hers, rubbing her intimacy pleasurably as she groped to hold on.

His shoulders were big where his hips were slim, but the difference between them was stark. She licked her lips as she met his gaze, lifting her arms for him to remove her vest top, her waistcoat strewn to the floor.

"You sure about this?" He asked, even as his fingers rolled up the material, baring her bra'd torso to him, causing him to smile in appreciation at her curves. "Oh god, you're beautiful…"

His words brought a flash of dark desire between her thighs and she sank her fingers into his short hair in some kind of comfort as he kissed down her throat toward her chest.

Sure enough he sucked through the material of her constraining bra and nipped at her peaks.

"Troy…" She begged, arching into him, desperate for the whole of his mouth on her flesh- anywhere, just desperate to extend the zinging pleasure she felt now.

"My pleasure…" He ground out, pressing her into the counter with firm pressure as he let up his hands from her back, to unclasp her bra and replace his mouth where the material once lay.

"I can't…" She gasped out, shocked at their sudden passion but so needful for his body, she didn't know how much longer she could hold out for him.

"Easy, tigress…" He smirked as her hands pulled at his jeans, tackling the belt and smoothly running them down his legs so that he could step back between her thighs, almost naked now.

"Oh god…" She panted, his hands at her waist, his mouth at her neck, her own small palms stroking up and down his arms, cupping his backside to bring him closer as he ground against her clothed lower body, reminding her what she needed the most.

She ran her hands down to unbutton her jeans but he paused her with a smile.

"Ah-ah…" He admonished, placing her hands around his neck as he slowly unbuttoned her fly and rasped the zip down, bending to kiss her belly, running his hands over her backside as he scooped the material away from her flesh, revealing the most amazing curves he had ever seen.

Her skin was naturally tanned, her legs small but shapely and god, those thighs…he smiled as he imagined them wrapped around him, hopefully before long.

"Your boxers…" She whispered, her lips brushing his ear, then his neck as she placed her own kisses, her gaze eating him up as he slipped out of his underwear and flung it behind him while she reached for her hand bag for protection.

"My, my…" She curved her own feline smile at the sight of his arousal, bare and throbbing for her and she felt that tickle inside again along with a tug of wanting.

She made a little noise of impatience as she wished he were inside of her already, filling her with that heat and she quickly wrapped the sheath on, meeting his gaze once more, only now biting her lower lip.

"I'm ready if you are…" She offered, running her hands from her grasp on his hot length, up his belly.

"God, you're hot…" He grinned tightly, leaning her back a little and spreading her thighs with his.

"Lift me…" She suggested, motioning to the counter and he gave her a lift up, wrapping his hand around her thigh to bring it over his hip.

He entered her, the tight, hot welcome sending a quick buzz across his skin and a tightness into his belly as he groaned out loud and sunk deeper into her waiting depths.

She panted her own sounds of pleasure, bolstering him as he forgot about reality and began to buck his hips, his body taking over any sensible thoughts he may have had previously.

"Oh Troy…" She husked into his ear as her hands grasped his hair, her thighs now wrapped around his waist as he thrust forward, pushing her against the kitchen counter in his search for a deeper place.

Her words were encouragement, her hands even more and when she cried out, he felt his control slip dangerously close to the edge.

He suckled her nipple, gently grazed her neck and kissed her mouth with hot, deep longing as his hips crashed against hers and created friction they both cried out from.

He could feel it rising, the tide that would wash him out and as he picked up pace, he hoped to god she was with him when it crashed, because he couldn't stop it…for the first time ever…he couldn't control his body.

She could feel the aftermath in her gently contracting muscles, deep inside as they slowly came back to earth, still joined.

She felt guilty in thinking she could do that all over again, right now, even though it had been rough and hard and unplanned.

Her arms were wrapped around his shoulders and he was holding her equally tightly as they gently came apart, reality setting in and causing some embarrassment.

"Oh my god…" She said gently, looking at him fearfully.

"I'm so sorry…" He offered quickly, afraid.

"No…" She denied. "Don't be, that was…" She searched for words.

"Fantastic?" He offered hopefully.

"More than…" She returned confusedly. How could she have the best sex ever with a guy she barely knew?

"If I hurt you…" He hedged, wincing at the memory of his harsh thrusts.

"No…" She assured as they gently parted, Troy lifting her down from the counter and she retrieved her clothes while he binned his condom.

"Where's my boxers?" He wondered and she covered her mouth with her hand, dressed back into her vest and knickers, giggling as she pointed toward her kitchen table.

His underwear was proudly strewn across her fruit bowl.

"Oh…" He grinned, moving to retrieve them and slip them back on, heading back toward her, touching her face.

"It's okay." She said before he could speak. "It's just sex, right?"

He arched his brow and frowned, not sure he agreed with that notion.

"Sure…" He tested, smiling as she reached her arms up to hug around his neck and he bent to encompass her back.

"Good. Then let's go to bed before we realise this is completely and utterly insane…" She mused, taking his hand and leading him to her room.


	5. Stalker

Sorry this is barely even a chapter it just didn't fit!

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for your support. To give you a bit of background this story idea came from my friend who said 'make him a taxi driver' and that was it and it was up to me to make that interesting and these random and often inexplicable ideas pop into my head for the characters and I wasn't even sure about posting it cos it's so off the wall but Amy persuaded me too and I'm glad cos even if it's a bit weird and gratuitously sexy, you still seem to be enjoying it- yay!

4B

She woke in his arms, gently encased in his embrace, his breaths softly expelling against her hair.

She shifted to roll over a little so she could touch his bare, muscled tummy and seek some comfort.

What had she been thinking? What had they both been thinking? This wasn't her usual behaviour on a first date and she didn't know how to justify it.

All she knew was that with Troy, she had felt something so strong and irresistible; she couldn't fight it.

Troy stirred and blinked a few times, the fingertips against his belly a soft and tender touch that had him smiling widely. He tightened his loose hold on the small girl in his arms and gently brushed her curly mane of hair back.

"Hey…" He greeted, meeting her sheepish gaze.

"Hi." She offered back, retracting her hand from his body; but he trapped it with his own and kept it there, against his belly.

"That's nice." He assured, brushing her hand with his thumb in slow circles.

"I have to get ready for work." She announced with a sigh.

"Your boss won't like me much now." He quipped, smiling his easy smile again.

"I can't believe he turned up there last night. How did he _know_?" She worried.

Troy lifted his head from the pillow to look into her face, letting his gaze wander down her tiny, curved body in the process.

"It sounds like he's an out and out stalker." He suggested.

Her arm tightened across his middle as she hid her face in his chest, draped across the side of his body becomingly.

"I'm scared." She admitted to the virtual stranger in her bed.

He dropped a tender kiss to her hair. "I'll look after you."

She sighed. "This is my mess. I already expected too much of you- you already did more than anyone else would have." She added.

"I've gone up against worse than your boss." He commented with a raised brow, plopping his head back into the pillow.

"In jail?" She checked.

She felt him nod and she immediately wondered what it had been like, but then reigned in her curiosity. If he wanted to tell her it was up to him. She wouldn't pry.

"Yep. Like I said, I'm not a nice guy all the time." He warned.

She actually smiled at that. Mostly because the tingling between her thighs was revived and when she twisted to look into his face, her breasts brushed his solid chest and made her nipples harden at the contact.

"You've been more than nice to me…" She quirked her own brow, rubbing herself against him, a soft moan escaping her throat.

His hands washed down her back to encompass her backside, gently bringing her back toward his body so he could kiss her.

And his kiss _was_ nice she mused, but it soon turned into something else, something darker and needier.

Soon his hands were around her hips, holding her in his lap as they touched and tasted and contemplated another round of this sinful sex when they still barely knew enough to be friends.

"Why can't I resist you?" He asked with an open and appreciative gaze flicking down her body, enjoying what he found, his hot look resting back at her face where she smiled, knowing she had control in his lap.

"You're a bad boy, Troy. You want what you can't have…" She teased.

"Oh but I can have…" He smiled back, shifting to his elbows to kiss her neck, then suckling her breast into his mouth, letting his thumbs caress her nipples as he leaned back and waited for her to decide if they were going to do this.

She protected him again, lifting her hips to take him deep, shocked at his utter tenderness as he carefully helped her sink onto his hardness.

"Where's the bad boy now?" She asked gently on a sigh as he filled her again, and she hesitated on her rhythms.

"Enjoying the view," He grinned, his hands still possessing her small, pert breasts as she rode him at her own pace, her hands grasping at his torso as she let her control melt away.

Watching the look of bliss on her face, gripping her hips to bring her closer; leaning up to insistently kiss her neck, he knew this was a slice of heaven he may never experience again.

He let out a strangled moan when he gently bit into her skin and she bucked wildly against him, her muscles contracting tightly inside against him.

"You're beyond amazing…" He whispered into her ear as his hips jerked against his climax, her dark eyes popping open to reveal the swirl of colours in her desire.

"Touch me, here…" She begged, taking his hand and bringing it to her patch of curls, knowing he was satisfied as he smiled and gently pressed into her intimate part.

"I'll make you quiver, honey…" He promised, expertly touching her to do just that.

Gabi felt her orgasm rise sharply and closed her eyes to the sensations of it, surrendered to Troy's hands, and then his arms as he rolled her gently over to cuddle her.

"Wow, Troy…" She sighed, opening her eyes again, blinking.

"Do you have to go to work?" He husked, kissing her mouth and then gently lower, to her collarbone, her shoulder, just below her ear and finally, back to her mouth.

She reached to hug him, curling into his body and taking a moment before she sighed.

"I do if I want to leave that place."

He rubbed his nose into her neck, kissing there. "Damn…"

She stroked his hair, distracted now from her previous moment of bliss. "Damn, indeed."


	6. Dark side

To cautious- I haven't seen Mr & Mrs Smith btw :)

Aw thanks everybody, hope you keep enjoying it.

5.

"Have a good day at work, honey…" He grinned wryly as he leaned over to kiss her, his arm creeping across the back of the passenger seat to add to his casual charm.

"I'm handing in my notice; I'm not sure how good it will be…" She sighed.

"Well, I'll pick you up at five…Just leave a message if you don't make it or I'm sending out a search party." He teased with another smile.

She smiled back and pressed her lips together. "Thank you."

She got out of the car and waved behind her, a tiny frown marring her pretty face as she wondered if she had done the right thing.

The buzz and tingle across her body told her she had and when she moved, she shivered with the memory of his touch.

But Denzel would not be easy to circumnavigate. She already had it planned in her mind; hand in her notice to HR, notify them of the problem and ask for her holiday credit to be granted immediately, allowing her to walk out at 5pm and never have to come back.

She took a breath at the thought of freedom, and another at the fear that suffocated her.

_What do I do now?_

She slid her bag onto her desk and warmed up her PC, her morning already halfway gone with her meeting with HR.

"System is slow…" Denzel's voice warned behind her, making her stiffen in her seat.

"That's okay…" She smiled wanly, flicking her head in his direction but not meeting his gaze.

"I heard you handed in your notice…" He said more quietly into her ear.

She gasped and span in her chair, shocked. "What?"

"I know everything. And you might care to note that it got destroyed. Along with your suggestion that I am bothering you…" He commented calmly, his beady dark eyes flicking across the office to make sure no-one could hear.

"You can't do that!" She gasped, twisting in her seat to face him.

"I'm the boss, honey; I can do anything I want." The way he said it, was filled with sexual connotation and she shivered against the repugnant suggestion. Even the thought of this older man touching her filled her with the need to vomit.

"I'm leaving, Denzel. You can't stop me." She reiterated firmly.

"What about if you leaving meant somebody got hurt?" He enquired evilly, smiling smugly.

"What?" She asked confusedly.

"Oh, let's just say the cabbie that picks you up every day got into a _horrific _road accident. Because of you. How would you feel having his death on your conscience?" He was still whispering, only now she was filled with fear and anger as she rose from her seat and flitted her eyes from side to side.

"You're threatening to murder my cab driver?" She asked, winded with utter panic.

"Get into my office." He commanded.

She met his gaze, her brown eyes untrusting and squinted. "No."

"Get in there or I find him now and have him beaten unconscious." He warned.

Her mouth gaped open at his constant threats. "Why would you do that? He has nothing to do with me!"

"Keep your voice down and come with me." He said again.

She balled her hands and counted to three. There was no way she could let anything happen to Troy.

"Fine." She agreed, storming into his office and waiting for him to follow, cringing as he shut his door and closed the blinds.

"Sit down, Gabriella." He used her full name and she opened her eyes again, seeing he was pointing at a seat opposite his at the desk.

She sat and crossed her legs tightly, the resulting sweet ache reminding her of her night of passion, worrying her further as to Denzel's ridiculous demands.

"I know you spent the night with him…" Denzel began, rounding the desk, and then heading back towards her. "I don't like that another man has had you…"

She curled up her face is disgust, standing once more. "I'm leaving today, Denzel."

"Not if you want his pretty face to stay pretty." He smirked, coming closer and reaching to brush her cheek. She turned her cheek to avoid the contact.

"You can't threaten me like this, I'll call the cops." She announced bravely.

"He'll be dead before you even make the call." He assured.

The thought frightened her, but she didn't know if he was calling her bluff. "You wouldn't…" She begged.

"He took something that belonged to me." He answered.

"I don't belong to you!" She argued.

"You could. You could have everything…money, clothes, anything you wanted." He offered.

"I want to leave." She stated, licking her lips.

"Then leave. But just remember, it's your choice. He'll get hurt if you go." He promised.

Gabi nodded and turned to leave the room she was trapped in, but felt his shadow behind her and jumped in fright as his hand touched over hers on the door handle.

"Of course, if you sleep with me I might be able to over look your little fling." He whispered, making her gag with his innuendo.

"I have work to do." She clipped, ripping the door open to assure her safety.

"I expect those notes by twelve, Gabriella." He ordered from his doorway, keeping up appearances for the rest of the office.

Gabi sank into her seat and felt overwhelming fear crush her breaths as she tried to control the tears that threatened to fall. What was she supposed to do now? Leave and put Troy in danger? Stay and risk being raped?

She typed quickly in order to meet his request and let her mind work things over, hoping for a resolution. Hoping for a miracle.

/

"Hey, Brenda." Troy grinned at the blonde receptionist and found her smiling back.

"Hi, Troy. I'll just buzz her." She narrated and went about calling Gabi.

He ran his hand along the shiny desk top as he waited patiently for confirmation she was coming down.

"She'll be down in one moment." Brenda supplied and he nodded, taking his usual seat on the leather sofa by the doors.

As he looked out on the commuters he let himself wonder on the sudden events that had changed his life in four short days.

He had a girl now; he had someone to look forward to seeing. If he let himself believe it, he might even have a little love. If only he knew enough about her to warrant that emotion being there.

"Troy, you have to go…" Gabi's distressed voice was quiet but insistent as he brought his attention around to her. She had dressed in a soft black dress and a jacket, with dark tights and black heels and he liked the dark look on her.

"Why, what's wrong?" He asked right away, standing up and dwarfing her with his height.

"I can't talk about it now. Please, just go." She begged.

He frowned into her frantic eyes, reading the tension in her body and wondering what had happened.

"I'll wait on Third Avenue. Behind the Thorne building. I won't go until you come." He announced.

She sighed, looking to the ground and then back up. "Okay, just…just lock your doors and be careful." She whispered, turning to go and he watched her, a deeper scowl carving his face.

What in the heck as going on?

/

"You can't drive me anymore." Gabi told him as they wove through traffic and she hid herself in the blue hoodie he'd laid in the passenger seat.

"Why not?" He demanded back, knowing her boss had something to do with this change of heart.

"Because last night was a mistake and I should never have asked you to stay." She announced like a droid, her voice perfectly pitched.

He shot a look to his left to gauge her face and she was wrapped into his top, biting her thumb nail.

"That's bullshit and you know it." He challenged.

Her brown gaze whipped to his and held it while he waited at lights, then he had to break contact when the cars in front moved off on green.

"It was a one night stand. I'm sure you have them all the time." She continued her lies and he actually smirked at her ability to tell them so easily.

"Actually, you're the first, since I came out." He remarked. "You're the first woman I slept with in two years, in fact. And it was a heck of a lot more to me than a one night stand." He added.

"We don't even know each other, how can it be more?" She asked herself as much as him.

"Because when we're together like that, I feel it deep inside. I never felt like that before…" He sighed frustratedly, pulling across the road sharply to find a place to stop. "I can't do this while I drive." He added.

She played with her hands in her lap and he knew then that she was crying because he could see the drops fall into her lap and roll down her small hands.

"Gabi…" He frowned, reaching to touch the back of her hooded head gently.

She turned her eyes up to his, every emotion clear to see. "Take me to your home?" she begged.

He nodded and didn't hesitate, swerving back into traffic to complete her request, helping her out of the cab and onto the pavement where he immediately put his arms around her and touched his chin to her head.

"I won't let anything happen to you." He promised.

"It's not me I'm worried about…let's get inside," she added looking around her for possible spies.

Inside, she seated herself at his kitchen breakfast bar. He made them coffee and came over to sit opposite her, concerned at her silence.

"What happened?" He asked, not waiting for her to speak first.

"He's going to hurt you, Troy. If I leave. He intercepted my notice and he knows about us and he's using it to keep me there." she explained.

His brows shot up and she smiled an upside down smile at the craziness of it all.

"I know, it's like a bad film plot." She commented.

"You have to call the cops." He stated, rising from his seat to collect his cordless phone.

"What do I say? My boss is blackmailing me?" She asked bewilderedly.

"Exactly…" He stated, his cool blue gaze bolstering her as she sighed.

"I feel like he could turn it all around, like maybe he has connections there, too." She beseeched.

"He's not the only one with friends." Troy commented. "Only mine are a lot more discreet and a damn site more dangerous."

Gabi's eyes shot to his and he smiled at her panic.

"I'm not getting you involved in this." She stated emphatically.

"I already am." He argued.

"That's why I'm ending this. So that you don't get hurt. After I make this call, I'm going home and we won't see each other again, okay?" She asked, but who she was asking, she didn't know. It wasn't okay with her, it didn't look like it was much okay with him and she wished her boss was here to listen because it seemed like she was asking him the question.

"No that's not okay." Troy insisted, touching his large palm to her cheek as he hovered before her.

She reached for his neck and he held her into his body, two strong arms wrapped around her as she stood on the rung of the stool to be body to body with him. He breathed in the smell of her shampoo and sighed. "That's not okay at all."

He felt her sobs, cuddled her as she used his shoulder to dry her tears and rubbed her back with soothing words to try and comfort her.

If he could get his hands on her boss, he was pretty sure he could kill him and he didn't like that cold, hard emotion that coursed through his veins, but it was there. It was something he had developed in jail to protect himself from the hardened criminals and every now and again, it surfaced like this.

His arms were crushing her to him as the images of her being frightened by this bully ran through his mind and he winced as he imagined the words he had used, too.

"Did he threaten to hurt you, too?" He husked, sitting her back on the stool but standing between her thighs as he touched her face again.

"He said I should sleep with him. He didn't like that I had slept with you." She offered on a quiet voice.

"I'll bet he didn't…" Troy ground out.

"I won't put you in danger, Troy. I meant what I said." She reminded him.

He dismissed her words and leaned to kiss her mouth, flicking his tongue against hers, feeling her answering desire as she panted softly and arched against her seat, even at just a simple kiss. He looked down into her darkened eyes and marvelled at their ignited passion.

"And I meant what I said. I'm not letting you go."

She didn't answer, she just pulled away to make the call, withdrawing from his embrace, too.

After a few moments, she placed the handset on the side and looked to him. "They can't do anything until he makes his move. They told me to leave my job and call his bluff but they can't protect me until his threat is real…" She shook her head.

"Wow…" He was as shocked as her.

"It's going to take someone to die before they'll act." She realised with horror.

"Will they at least check on you?" He wondered.

She rolled her eyes. "They'll send a patrol car around twice a day."

"Then you're staying here. No arguments." He folded his muscled arms across his chest as she roamed his kitchen with her worry.

"You might get hurt…" She counter-acted.

"I'm old enough to look after myself." He assured with a lip curl that had her wanting him all over again.

"Your dark side…it's strangely attractive…" She mused, liking his words. Somehow when he gave threats, it just turned her on even more.

"I'm just a cabbie…" He smiled as he advanced toward her, where she leaned against his counter.

When he reached her, she ran her hands into his hair and leaned up for a kiss. "A sexy cabbie…" She complimented, drawing a grin from him as he wrapped his arms hard around her waist and lifted her up off her feet.

"I think I need to remind you just how amazing you are…" His eyes twinkled mischievously.

She agreed with him by kissing him again and he carried her through his house up to his room, laying her on the bed with gentle care and then he stepped back to admire her.

She unrobed herself from the soft dress she had been wearing, revealing her coffee curves and toned body covered by black lace underwear.

He let his gaze drop down her body as she lay on his bed; waiting and he slowly unbuckled his jeans, dropping his boxers at the same time, crawling onto the bed to let her rid his t-shirt, her small hands going up his chest in delight.

"Troy…" She panted his name and he hardened at the sound of it, her hands going to his arousal and touching where she thought he needed it.

"Wanna suck me, beautiful?" He asked, watching her lips and wondering if she would wrap them around his need.

She smiled and rolled him onto his back, taking pleasure in this opportunity to satisfy him.

He bucked under her soft lips, her expert tongue. His smile was blissful as she brought him to his climax and he shot into her mouth where she swallowed with a grimace.

He appreciated her distaste and tried to fathom her perfection as he reached for her. Only she was straddling him and touching herself, making him wonder at her confidence.

"I'd sure like to help you…" He murmured, feeling achy and tired from his release, but unable to resist as she pressed her thumb into her nipple and her finger into her curls.

"Go ahead…" She invited, throwing her head back as her hands brought pleasure to her own body.

He smiled and sat up, gently kissing her breast all over, saving his tongue for the peaks and lavishing them attention that made her cry out.

He fingered her with his other hand and she panted as she desperately tried to reach her peak with his help, now leaning back to his touch and gripping his biceps for control.

"You don't know how fucking great you look right now…" He husked on a tight voice, feeling his body revive with renewed desire.

"Troy…" She begged, so close to her goal and he pressed his thumb to her nub knowing it would bring the sweet sensations she craved, feeling her very orgasm as his fingers dipped deep inside.

He could only grin widely at her response, he could only feel the throb of his need against her skin as she softened in his lap, sated from her climax. He shifted to lay her down, ready to take her, moulding her into position where she sleepily gazed at him and wondered.

"I'll be real gentle…" He promised, thrusting into her with his muscled body in control.

"Oh…" She arched at the sudden entry, clenched inside as he kissed her neck and fought to come back to earth from their extended foreplay.

Troy fought the need that rolled across his body and tensed every muscle, wanting to share this moment with Gabi forever. Looking into her widened eyes, feeling her body respond to his intimately, it was an addictive game.

He kept kissing her as his body moved above hers and slowly, she recovered from her tiredness and touched him in return.

He watched her, loved her and cradled her tenderly as they met their highs and peaked together, once again lazily laying in an embrace, tired and surprised at their level of desire.

"What's your favourite colour?" Gabi asked softly, shifting under his weight until he spooned her instead. She closed her eyes at being wrapped up in his body and sighed out.

"Black, like your panties…" He teased, running a quick hand down her hip, making her shiver.

"Favourite drink?" She asked next, making him chuckle.

"Whiskey…or coffee, what about you?" He asked back, kissing her shoulder.

"Coke." She replied with a smile at his kiss.

"Favourite position?" He wondered, his hand moving around to fan at her belly, pulling her back into his body where she felt his heat and stickiness with sweat.

"We can't…" She murmured, gasping as his hand worked up to her breast, cupping there and he followed by giving soft kisses to her neck, lifting her hair to reach.

"Just tell me…" He begged, not wanting to make love with her again and ruin his already sated body.

"I feel weird…" She complained and he cuddled her a little.

"Mine would be with you in my lap…." He smiled against her neck, brushing his beard stubble there.

Gabi opened her mouth as if to gasp at the sensation his stubble caused, but didn't moan. Instead she shifted in their comfortable embrace, slipping from the bed.

"Hey, where you going?" He called after her, appreciating her naked backside. She looked over her shoulder and smiled felinely.

"I'm showing you my favourite position…" She explained, reaching her dresser and placing her hands on the back of the chair, bending over and slowly spreading her legs, then looking over her shoulder again. "Like this…"

He grinned at her invitation, slowly wandering over to her, gently running his hands up her sides and toward her breasts which weighed in his palms nicely. He brushed his thumbs across her nipples and watched her shiver against the feeling.

"We shouldn't be doing this…" She uttered, to herself.

"Then what?" He wondered, leaning to kiss down her back, feeling her arch under his touch as his hands roamed her body.

He flicked his tongue against her intimacy as he crouched low and pressed his finger to her nub. Gabi cried out at the onslaught and tried to turn, but he didn't let her, he kept up his surprising kisses and tongue flicks across her body, waiting for her to give him permission to love her again.

It might sate his body once for all, but the temptation was too great.

"Please…" She whispered, quivering, barely able to stand against the throbbing deep in her centre.

"Please, what…" He breathed against her neck, pressing his hard length to her buttock.

"You know what…" She groaned.

"I want you to say it," he insisted.

"Troy…" She ground out, crying out as his thumbs teased her nipples again.

"Tell me…" He husked, aching to sink into her again, holding back.

"I want you…" She breathed out, shy at her admission, tensing at her words.

He smiled in gratification, sliding his length into her, gently, taking a slower pace. He knew after this they had to come back to reality and deal with the problem of her boss. But right now, they had this opportunity to play and he wasn't going to waste it, he was going to take advantage of it.

Afterwards, he bathed with her and then when she became sleepy he lay with her in bed, curling around her protectively.

He felt her cling to him and wondered how, in such a short time, he could come to care for her like this. Like he could actually get used to having her in his bed this way. Every night.


	7. Leaving

6.

When Troy stirred the next morning, Gabi wasn't in sight and he missed having her to wake up to. He frowned a little and hoped she hadn't bailed on him as he rose in search of her.

She was there, in his kitchen, her back to him as he smiled gently at the sight of her haloed by the sunlight streaming in through his large kitchen windows. Her thighs were bared by his t-shirt that hung temptingly over her backside and her hair was messed sexily as she made waffles with his waffle iron.

"Did you get hungry?" He asked as he pushed off the doorway and came toward her, hugging her from behind.

"I wanted to make you breakfast, to say thank you, for everything." Gabi explained.

"Uh-oh…" He mused, pulling away to make coffee.

"What?" She asked, turning to smile at him.

"That sounds like you're leaving." He posed.

"I…" She flicked her eyes down to avoid his gaze. "I think it's for the best." She pressed her lips together as her dark eyes met his nervously.

He cupped her upper arms with his hands and frowned with concern.

"I told you I could take care of you." He repeated.

"I can't see you hurt, Troy." She replied firmly, turning back to her waffles, forcing him to step away.

"Just promise me you won't go back there." He sighed, knowing he barely had any influence over her decisions.

"I'm not going to. I'm going to go to my apartment, pack up a bag and go to my mom's house. And I'm going to call you every day to make sure you're okay." She added, sliding their waffles onto plates and carrying them to the table.

"I'll be okay." He smiled tightly, following her.

They sat together as they consumed the food hungrily. Troy's hair was messy like hers and Gabi smiled softly at him, still surprised at their quick bond, but already feeling affection toward him. She tried to fight the emotion and swallowed her last bite, finding his smiley blue gaze upon her as she looked up.

"My, my, you were hungry, tigress." He husked, his very voice starting her need over again.

"You have to stop talking like that." She warned.

He smirked as he came around the counter toward her, lifting her into his arms where she gripped his neck.

"I think we deserve a lay in." He suggested gently and she relaxed against his chest comfortably.

And he meant it. They laid in the bed, spooning, her second favourite activity with him. It was at that moment she felt like she couldn't leave him. She fought with herself and knew she couldn't risk him being hurt, but with his arm curled around her waist and his breaths in her hair, she felt like she could get used to this.

She felt like she could be falling for him.

/

"Hi Brenda." Gabi greeted the receptionist and immediately felt guilty for lying to Troy.

But she had left his apartment this morning, packed her bag which sat in the waiting cab outside and decided to give Denzel a piece of her mind.

If the police wouldn't protect her and Troy, then she would have to take matters into her own hands.

"Hi, Gabi." Brenda smiled. "Where's the cutie?" She asked of Troy.

Gabi smiled sadly. "We broke up."

"Oh no…I just got used to seeing his lovely backside around here, too." Brenda frowned.

"Yeah…" Gabi sighed. She knew the news would get back to Denzel soon enough. She hoped it might secure Troy's safety, too.

The office was quiet, it was before opening and she carefully packed up her belongings into a box. It felt strangely satisfying to know this was the last time she would see his face again.

She wasn't only leaving Lautner & George, she was leaving town. By the time Denzel knew anything about her it, she would be long gone, not seen for dust.

And her heart would suffer from missing Troy; who she had inadvertently become attached to.

Who she had inadvertently put in danger.

"Leaving are we?" Denzel's voice behind her made her stiffen with tension but she didn't turn to him.

"Yup." She agreed succinctly.

"I hear you and the cabbie broke up…" He added.

"That's right…" She agreed, her breath catching as she hoped this news would ensure Troy's safety.

She heard Denzel's voice travel closer as he walked toward her.

"That's a real shame…" His finger brushed her cheek and she flinched, straightening.

If he hadn't given her months of this behaviour, if he had been a proper boss, then she might not have wanted to take something back.

She smirked as she avoided more contact. "I'm sure you're happy about that news."

"But you're leaving…I'm not happy about that." Denzel smiled, his white teeth flashing against his tanned skin and his dark suit adding power to his authoritative stance.

"I have to." She said simply, not embellishing her reasons why.

"I told you if you left then the cabbie would suffer…" He remarked, right as she headed for the lift.

She paused and turned, frowning. "We're not together. He's nothing to do with me anymore…" She almost argued, fighting to keep her tone even; as if she didn't care.

"But he was the one that took you away from me…he was the one that ruined what we had…"

"Denzel, it was a one night stand, okay? It means nothing to me. I already told you not to involve him in your ridiculous games. Now I'm telling you- don't think about punishing anyone for my departure. It's your fault, okay? You're the one who's making me leave." She pressed her lips in and met his dark gaze, even though she didn't want to look at him for another second.

"We could still have something, Gabriella…you could still live like a princess." He smiled hopefully, his smile gleaning.

"You just don't get it do you?" She mused, shaking her head gently. "I wouldn't take all the money in the world to be with you…"

His face hardened and his own lips pressed in at her statement and Gabi felt this was a good time to flee. She knew he might come after her, in fact, he might even come after Troy, but she had tried her best to ensure that didn't happen. Now she had to leave once and for all. It was her own bed she had made and she was going to lie in it.

She was probably going to lie in it for a long time…


	8. Betrayal

To maccanut: Gabi hasn't slept with Denzel, sorry if I confused anyone.

And thankies everyone for reviews- I'll update with part 2 soon :)

7.

_Where was she?_ She should be here; she should be here to say goodbye just like she promised, but her apartment door remained unanswered.

His loin ached with the memories of their exploits in bed, but his heart ached, too from missing her, already.

He hadn't expected that. And he frowned as he wondered if she felt the same. If he would ever be that lucky.

He sighed, pressing his fist against the wood and twisting his lips._ Where was she?_

"Mr Bolton?" The formal voice surprised him and he turned, wondering who would be looking for him at Gabriella's apartment.

The voice belonged to FBI.

"That's me." He confirmed, eyeing the agent with unease. He still remembered the day they took him away for his crime.

"We're placing you under arrest for suspicion of assisting Gabriella Montez to embezzle funds from Lautner and George. You know the rest." The tall, broad guy said, backed up by a darker-skinned accomplice.

"What?" He whooshed out a shocked breath. "I just came here to say goodbye- she's my girlfriend…"

"Then she dropped you in the pan, buddy. You got previous and we think you helped her do it…" He remarked, holding up the cuffs.

"Come on, dude…I don't know anything about this! You can't think I'd be stupid enough to do it again?" He demanded, his anger and hurt rising sharply. _What had she gotten him into?_

"Just stay calm while we cuff you…" The agent suggested and Troy sighed, knowing he would only make things worse if he struggled.

"Sure, my girlfriend just committed a crime and I get the blame…I'm real calm…" he muttered.

They clinked the restraints into place and led him down the stairs, his head hung low as he fought to understand why Gabi would do this to him.

He had been right all along, he mused with a lip curl, she couldn't be trusted. She was just using him.

He shook his head gently as they led him onto the street and a few passers-by looked on with interest. Only there was one face that he knew and recognised easily. The one that made everything click.

That of Denzel Lautner.

He nodded with a derisive snarl, knowing he was good and properly done for. He'd been set up, reeled in and tricked in the best way; by a woman.

"You tell her I said hello…" He called to the older man. "You tell her she did a good job!" He added as the FBI agent pushed him into the waiting car, his blue eyes beseeching a response from her boss.

He didn't receive one; he just sighed as he slumped into the back seat and sweated on his fate.

He should never have trusted Gabi. He should have seen the signs and he should have backed off before his heart got drawn into her dangerous game. Only now; it was too late. He was in it up to his armpits and he would happily strangle her if he saw her right now. She had known all along who he was, she had used him for her own gains. And he would never trust her again. He would never trust any woman again.

If loving someone meant being broken like this, he didn't want any part of it.

He would live without it. That's if he escaped this mess she had landed him in…

**END OF PART 1**


	9. Hank

**I can see why everybody thought Gabi had slept with Denzel, but it was just his overactive imagination that they'd actually had something- it wasn't real.**

**And I confused some people so just to let you know, Troy embezzled funds from his employer many years ago to start his own business but got caught by the FBI and did time in jail for it…Gabi has committed the same crime at Lautner and George against Denzel who co-owns the company and the FBI have assumed Troy was involved as he has done this before and they know he was with Gabi.**

**So where is Gabi? And what's happened to Troy since he got carted off by the FBI?**

**You're about to find out!**

**PART 2**

8.

Troy tinkered under the hood of the old truck he had been tasked to fix, twisting the radiator cap to fill the old engine with water.

The sun was warm on his back and he twisted to let his face catch some of the rays that the low autumn sun afforded him.

He let out a sigh, feeling, not for the first time; a little restless.

He had moved from LA after the FBI investigation found him innocent and he was lucky enough to find someone willing to take him in and give him a chance.

He was an unwilling celebrity after the latest focus on his former life and there weren't many people happy to his face around town. But Hank Roberts had found him in the local bar; Sonny's, and offered him a room and meals in exchange for repairing his extended collection of vehicles.

The old truck sat in his garage, attached to his suburban house, just a little way out of town; but he had more vehicles and Troy was only too happy to offer a hand. Like he said, there weren't many people willing to offer him board right now.

Once the spotlight died down and the press got off his back, he might find things were different. But it had been three months since the incident and though there hadn't been any camera crews around in a long time, his name was still occasionally mentioned on the news or in connection with the infamous Gabriella Montez.

Nobody knew where she was, who she was with or what she was doing with the thousands she had stolen. All he knew was that he missed her. Every day.

Every time he heard her name, he remembered vividly their passionate past. His mind would shoot up a picture of her beneath him as he thrust into her over and over; or sometimes he would allow his favourite memory to come forward, that of her in his lap, riding him.

And then there were those moments in the dark of the night, when he just wished he could hold her. He missed that the most; and maybe that's what surprised him the most, too. That despite their relationship being based mostly on sex; he missed spooning her so damn much it made his chest ache until he couldn't breathe.

"You thinking about that broad again?" Hank asked, catching Troy smiling into the sunset, his eyes closed.

Troy opened his eyes slowly and didn't try to deny it. God knows the older man had caught him plenty of times like this, reminiscing about the past.

"Yeah, go figure, huh?" Troy mused gently.

"I just gotta figure she must be some kind of doll to have you thinking about her all the time when she got you in the heat with the FBI." He shook his head, a comment that was not unfamiliar.

"I guess I was some kind of fool," Troy suggested with a quirked brow. Of course he still blamed her for what happened to him; of course he still mistrusted every female he met. But the memory of her, of her body, of their love-making; it still made him ache in ways he didn't know he could.

"Been there." Hank confirmed with a firm nod, leaning his hip against the side of the truck as Troy sat back against the open bonnet and folded his arms, his oil smudged face softening at the man's admission.

"I know I keep saying it Hank, but I appreciate you taking me in." He sighed again, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The older man moved and gripped his shoulder gently.

"You're a young man and you sound older than me, boy. You should go out and kick back for a bit." He suggested.

Troy gave him a lopsided smile, pushing his hand into his fringe, which was escaping the rag he'd tied around his head as a sweat band while he worked.

"I wish I knew how to." He commented. "It's been so long since I had fun, I think I forgot."

"The old picture house is showing a film tonight, why don't you go down and see it and visit Sonny's after? You know Maude and Stella will be working and they just love your charm…" The old man reminded him.

Troy smiled at the thought of the mother-daughter combo who worked behind the bar of his favourite haunt. Neither of them much cared about his past, in fact, Stella seemed to find it somewhat of an attraction, thinking of him as some kind of 'bad-boy'. He smirked at that.

Maude was like his second mother. His first had turned her back on him the day he got arrested and Maude would molly-coddle him to death. She made him meals, invited him to dinner, bought him clothes and welcomed him every time he stepped into her realm. He felt boyish and shy when she lavished him with attention; but he also secretly loved having someone who cared about him.

She hugged him when he ducked into the low doorway of the bar and headed over to order a drink. She came right around the bar and pulled him into a hug, like she hadn't seen him for years.

"Where have you been, gorgeous? Been too long I tell ya." She smiled at him, pinching his cheek, causing him to blush.

"It's been four days." He remarked gently, bewildered at her sense of loss.

"Four days too long. I got a freezer full of food for you…" She admonished.

"That's great, Maude. I'll take it when I go…" He smiled.

"Hey, handsome!" Stella called from behind the bar, her long blonde hair catching the attention of many men in the bar, but not Troy's. He still hankered after a head of long, dark hair and a small body that fit his so well.

"Hey, Stella," He waved at her, taking a seat at the bar. He knew what some of the patrons were thinking, he could see it in their faces and he could hear it in their whispers. But he couldn't blame them. He'd think the same if it were the other way round, he just hoped there wasn't any trouble tonight. Maude had already done so much for him; he couldn't bear seeing her upset if someone took offense to his presence; like they had a few times since he had moved here.

He sank back a few beers, told Stella about the film he had seen and wondered about his future. He couldn't stay here forever. He couldn't keep hiding.

But he doubted he could go back to being a cabbie. And he sure wasn't going to get work anywhere in LA now. So where did that leave him?

"I'm thinking of going north…maybe Canada." He said out loud to the blonde leaning on the bar, earning a view of her cleavage as she deliberately showcased it for him. He quickly raised his eyes to show he wasn't interested.

"You're leaving?" She pouted, her face creasing with worry.

"Maybe…" He nodded.

"Oh, the juke just started Bette Midler…" She slowly smiled, standing. "Will you dance with me?"

He couldn't help but smile back, the mischievous look in his eyes one that hadn't been there for a while.

"Sure." He agreed drily.

He led their dance, smiled down on her shorter form, even grinned and laughed as she coaxed him into spinning her and dipping her across the floor.

"You can't honestly want to leave this behind?" Stella asked flirtily, pursing her lips as she pressed into his torso, and he knew she wanted him to kiss her.

"I'm in love with somebody else." He husked, his eyes becoming sad at that admission, wishing he could consider someone else in his arms or his bed or even in his life.

But in the same breath, the woman he was talking about, that he realised he loved, had betrayed him and he didn't know how he felt about that. He didn't know how he could let anyone in again.

"I know." Stella touched her palm to his cheek and he squinted his eyes. "I'm just offering a little female company…"

He lifted his brows at her suggestion and took a big breath in. Sex. Willing, strings free sex. God, if only he was the kind of guy who could, he mused.

"Thank you. You know I love you like a sister, Stel, but right now I couldn't offer you more than a DVD and a cup of cocoa…" He mused.

She shrugged, a little hurt by his rejection, but prepared for it, too.

"One night I'll hold you to that, Troy." She warned.

"I'm waiting…" He grinned back, watching her leave his arms to go back to tending the bar.

He rocked back on his heels, and then turned to leave to get some air, accidentally knocking the elbow of a guy who was standing right behind him.

"I'm sorry…" Troy apologised quickly, sheepishly. He knew the guy had placed himself there so he would knock him and he wasn't sure how to deal with this situation.

"Big, tough, jail bird just go round asking for trouble huh?" The red-neck stocky cowboy asked. He was a little shorter than Troy, but twice as wide.

"I said I'm sorry, dude. I didn't mean to spill your drink. Let me buy you another…" He offered gracefully.

"I heard you were someone to be afraid of…I aint seein' much of it…" The guy challenged.

Troy sighed, pocketing his hands. One time, he might have been. In protecting Gabi, he was willing to be and if he had to protect Maude or Stella, then sure, he could be. But not now. He was vulnerable. He'd been stabbed in the back and he didn't know why. So he hoped this guy wouldn't test him because he might just lose.

"I'm not like that anymore," Troy offered, still not sure how to play this out.

"Pretty boy, huh? I'll just bet they loved you in jail…" The cowboy guessed.

Troy didn't really think of himself as a 'pretty boy', though the frequent remarks he had of that kind and being told he was handsome, it kind of gave him some idea as to how others saw him.

Was that the cowboy's problem, then? That he was good-looking? Was he jealous?

"Is this really about me?" Troy asked patiently, flicking a look to Stella and wondering if this guy didn't have the hots for his friend.

"Some of us don't like having you around…" The man commented, looking to his drinking buddies, both of whom nodded.

"Thanks for the note." Troy remarked, making to leave.

"Hey, you being funny?" The cowboy asked, gripping Troy's shoulder to stop his exit.

"Look, dude. I just came here to start over, okay? You ever made a mistake in your life that you're not proud of?" Troy asked, irritated.

"Only mistake I made was not punching your lights out the second you pulled into town…" The man joked, then pulled back his arm and smacked Troy in the eye, sending him staggering backward.

Troy winced at the punch, cradling his eye as he saw the cowboy advancing toward him for more. He held out his hand, in peace, to show he wasn't going to fight back, but the stockier man had other ideas as he boofed him in the stomach, winding him, and then following his first punch with another to his cheek.

He wrapped an arm around his belly as he doubled over in pain, not seeking any revenge even though he might have felt it. Troy knew deep down he could have this guy easily, but he knew it was important that this happened. He had to be punished. He had to be hazed.

He just wished it didn't hurt as much as he held out both hands now in surrender and received another blow, to his jaw.

"Stanley!" Stella shrieked, flying across the floor to restrain him from any further violation as Troy struggled to stay upright.

"Troy, oh my god, are you okay?" Stella fussed over him as Stanley glowered behind her.

"I'm going…" Troy husked out, wiping the blood he felt trickling down his cheek, wincing at the bruise that was already forming.

"How dare you?" Stella turned to Stanley as Troy unsteadily made his way outside of the bar, collapsing against the side of his truck as he fought for breath.

The air was cold and shocked his lungs as his sore ribs protested. He closed his eyes and counted slowly, begging the throbbing to stop so he could at least drive home. So that he could at least remember why he had taken the beating and not fought back.

He counted to fifty before he heard his name.

"Troy?" The voice was soft, filled with concern and one he thought he was imagining. He didn't open his eyes in case he had fallen into some kind of hallucinogenic dream.

"It's not that bad." He said, to himself.

"Why did they do this?" She wondered, approaching.

He popped open his good eye, confused. The voice talked back. Gabi's voice. And it was attached to her body. Her hair was shorter, bobbed. It held lighter streaks which matched her skin and it made her look different. But the dark eyes were the same. Her mouth was the same.

_What was she doing here?_


	10. Diary

**Chapter 9**

_**From the last chapter: **_

_**"Why did they do this?" She wondered, approaching.**_

_**He popped open his good eye, confused. The voice talked back. Gabi's voice. And it was attached to her body. Her hair was shorter, bobbed. It held lighter streaks which matched her skin and it made her look different. But the dark eyes were the same. Her mouth was the same.**_

_**What was she doing here?**_

"Why do you care?" He asked back, pushing down his curiosity to deal her the hand she deserved. "Why are you even here?" He added.

Her face fell and her eyes became doe-like. "To find you. To make sure you're ok."

He smirked, then winced as that hurt his face. "Ironic huh?"

"You're not ok." She stated, twisting her lips, coming ever closer, about to reach for him.

"Don't touch me, bitch." He spat.

She recoiled in horror, a gasp leaving her lips.

_Good._ He thought as he fought the pain still. She should be shocked. She had hurt him and betrayed him and she ought to know it.

She didn't seem to let this stop her, though. She grasped his muscled bicep to drag him to her car and gently pushed him into the low seat, starting her engine as she looked to him and felt the fear and regret fill her completely.

Instead of speaking, she drove. The motel she was staying at wasn't far and he looked like he could use some help.

It wasn't until they were inside her room that she spoke.

"I know you hate me. I know I did an awful thing, but you have to hear me out, okay? But let me clean you up first…" She begged with her big brown eyes as he cradled his ribs and watched her with one eye- the other still closed in pain.

He managed a nod and she led him to her bathroom, quickly running water and adding ointment to clean his wounds.

He hissed as she touched the cotton wool to his cut cheek.

"I'm sorry…" She murmured.

He lifted his cold blue eyes to hers and squinted. "What for?"

She tilted her head and bit her lower lip. "For everything I guess. But for this, right now." She added.

"You think I got beat up because of you?" He wondered.

"Didn't you?" She challenged, wanting to throw her arms around his wide shoulders, but resisting the urge as he remained tense, clearly not at all pleased to see her. Understandably so.

He shrugged, flinching as she placed the ice she had fetched to his jaw.

"Troy…" She felt tears welling at her eyes and wished she could have taken this punishment for him, knowing she was the one who really deserved it.

He saw her tears and felt conflicted. On the one hand, she deserved it, she should be upset. The last three months had been hell because of her betrayal. But his instincts deep inside fought against his head, leaving him wanting to do nothing but curl her into his arms and kiss away her tears.

He settled for midway and reached a thumb up to wipe the tears from her cheek.

"Don't cry, Gabi. You're ruining your image." He remarked. She may have been expecting sympathy, or comfort; but he wasn't willing to give it. Yet.

"I care about you, Troy, okay? I looked everywhere for you. I came here for you because I want to make amends. I want to tell you why I did what I did…" She argued.

His face was sore, swollen, his eyes droopy with his tiredness. She knew he wasn't able to discuss this now; he was just too damn exhausted.

"Let me see your ribs." She demanded, waiting for him to remove his t-shirt, only he couldn't, so he lifted his arms and she pulled it off for him, instantly reminded of his impressive physique.

God but she had missed his body. She'd missed those arms and that chest, his belly; especially his belly.

Mostly, she missed his hugs. His all-encompassing hugs. His touch, his kisses they had featured in her dreams too, but right now she would give anything to have him hold her again.

The skin on his torso was darkening with a bruise and she gently ran her fingers against his ribcage to measure the damage. He sucked a breath in, both at the pain and at the surprise of her touch. He was so drowsy now, he could barely see straight.

"I don't think they're broken…" She concluded. "Let's get you into the bed…"

He laid out, starfish style on her double and she put her hands to her hips.

"Is there anyone you need to call, who might worry?" She wondered.

"I should call my buddy, Hank…" He mumbled, reading out his number as Gabi grabbed the room extension and dialled.

Her conversation with the man was short, but she got the feeling he knew who she was, which gave her hope. That meant Troy had talked about her; which hopefully meant this trip wasn't completely wasted.

Tired herself, with not much left to do while she waited for Troy to recover, she changed into a nightdress and rolled onto the clear edge of her bed, not wanting to get too close to her patient. He already thought she shouldn't be here; she didn't want him to be angry at her sharing the bed, too.

Their first meeting hadn't gone quite as she had planned, but here he was anyway. His features were softened in sleep and she smiled as tears cascaded her face in memory of watching him sleep before.

His lips parted as he took breaths through his mouth, his freckles still dotting his nose. His hair was soft, touchable and it was flung messily where he lay on his back. She heard him murmur in his sleep and he brought his arms in to his body, one that was half- naked and attracting her gaze.

"You always were irresistible," she murmured to her sleeping partner, reaching to stroke his hair back tenderly.

_If only I hadn't fucked things up._

_/_

He was holding her in his arms again. For a moment, his dream felt so very real. Just like those nights when he really had held her close to him. Only he knew this wasn't real, because she was gone.

"Mmm…" Gabi snuggled into the hard body beside hers, enjoying the embrace they shared.

"What the…?" Troy sat up sharply, waking to reality quickly, wincing as his ribs protested. Then last night came back to him in one big flood. Gabi was here. She had come back last night. Only why were they in bed together?

He looked to her, blinking sleepily, seeing her hurt face at his sudden movement which had ripped her from his arms. He felt something deep inside at her look, something that made him want to cuddle her all over again, but he didn't; he just frowned.

"What happened?" He wondered, his whole face coming alive with synchronised throbbing that had him laying back again.

"You got hurt." She reminded him, dragging herself from the bed with that same hurt look.

"Hey…" He said, and then took a breath. What was he meant to say now? What was he honestly meant to _do_?

She paused at the edge of the bed; her shoulders rounded inwards, waiting for a barbed comment, waiting to be punished.

"Thanks…" He said, disappointed at his own words. "Thanks for taking care of me."

He could be holding her again right now if he had said something else. If he had said something she wanted to hear. Only the way he had woken; jerking her from his body like that, had clearly told her to stay away. He was even a little surprised she wanted to be close to him again.

"It's the least I could do…" She offered as she finally left the bed and padded to her connecting bathroom, disappearing from view.

He tried to sit up, taking slow breaths as his bruises complained at him, and then he wandered to her kitchenette to make coffee.

A journal lay there and he realised it must be her diary, which as soon as he saw, he felt guilty for having even spotted it. It was open, the pen laid down the centre spine from her last entry and he couldn't help his overwhelming curiosity.

Where had she been? What had she been doing? _Who _had she been doing for that matter?

Did she find another cabbie to fill her requirements? To replace him?

_Tues 10__th__ September_

_Today is the day. I know he's not going to like me…who's to blame him? I don't like me right now…Its been three months and he has to know I thought about him every day, he has to know that the day I left, I knew I was in love with him and that hasn't changed. Please god, let him forgive me…let him love me, too?_

His eyebrows shot up at the entry and he took a sharp breath in. He jerked his head up, intently listening for signs that she was coming, but he could only hear water from her shower sprinkling down, and sometimes, her singing. He frowned, wondering if she had placed the diary like that for him to see, so he flicked back a few pages.

_Friday 6__th __June_

_Summer is here, the leaves in Boston turn beautiful colours. The dock is the only place I can go to escape this crazy world, the only place I can go to think about him. It's been two weeks and I thought I might have gotten over him. But since Denzel reported him, I can't help but worry. And wonder. Is he okay? Did they hurt him? Did they let him go?_

It was addictive, reading through her entries, always finding her reporting's on her life involving her thoughts about him. He'd flipped back to when they'd met, smiled at her amazement over their sexual compatibility; then flipped forward, finding her worry for him increasing until she finally decided to look for him. It turned something deep inside knowing she felt the same way he did; despite her betrayal. God but he would love to kiss her mouth again and feel her response. He'd love to have her all over again.

"Find anything interesting?" She asked with impatience, wrapped in her bath towel, her hair wet.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew who I was?" He asked back, gliding over the small fact he shouldn't be reading her diary. The fact she was aware of him before they met was not only shocking for him; it filled him with distrust. Had she really been using him as a scapegoat all along?

She walked toward him angrily and snatched her journal from the work top, holding it to her chest before placing it in a drawer beside the bed.

"That wasn't for you to read." She remarked.

He sighed, gripping the counter as his hands itched to touch her and finally he tracked after her, turning her by the shoulders, his blue eyes squinting into hers as if to find the answers he wanted.

"Was it all Denzel?" He checked, of the FBI capture.

"I never meant for you to get involved, I wasn't lying when I told you that…" She began, her sadness washing over her. "The day I left, I lied to Denzel about us. I wanted him to think we were over. I wanted you to be safe."

"All along, you knew who I was; you knew exactly what you were doing…" He couldn't fathom it.

"I never asked you for any help. I never wanted you to get involved. I admit…I was attracted to you because of who you were…" She let out a little breath, closing her eyes. "It _was _dangerous and it _was _sexy, knowing you were a criminal, knowing you had done exactly what I was planning on doing…"

He couldn't believe she was actually saying these words, more interestingly, he couldn't believe he was turned on by them, too. His body was reacting, hardening at her admission to finding him sexy.

"Gabi…" He breathed, suddenly not feeling any of the anger he had previously. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted her body on his.

"No Troy!" She looked up, her dark eyes flashing. "I was wrong to do that. I was wrong…but you have to know, how I felt…feel…about you…it wasn't anything to do with that. The way I feel, it's real. I fell in love with you."

He felt his face crumple with her admission and he knew he couldn't pretend any more, but she began talking again, nervous and keen to get her words out.

"I know…I know I don't deserve to be happy. I know I fucked it all up and I understand why you feel like I betrayed you. Honestly, I do. But…you have to tell me…did you ever think you could love me too? Before all this? Before I ruined it?" She begged.

His answer came as he lifted his palms to cup her cheeks, leaning down to kiss her mouth, very, very slowly and very, very precisely. He wanted to savour her taste, he wanted to memorise her reaction and kiss her like she had never been kissed.

"Was there anyone else?" He whispered, into her ear as he drew away from their enticing kiss, kissing below her ear as he waited for a reply. She melted a little in his arms, a sigh exiting her lips as her knees weakened.

She blinked her desire-heavy eyes at him and her small hands encased his arms. "How could you think that?" She wondered, hurt again, making him wince with a different kind of pain.

"I'm just asking…" He breathed against her skin, dipping his head to sweetly kiss her neck, deciding he needed more from her mouth as he plunged his tongue against hers on their second meeting.

He wrapped his arms hard around her body, grasped her hair with one hand and her butt with the other, bringing her small body up against his, her soft towel a barrier against their skin.

She whimpered at his forcefulness and he let her down, his bruised ribs hurting against his straining breaths.

"I'm sorry." He said this time, brushing a gentle thumb down her face. She traced his bruises with her own soft hands and then placed them against his chest.

"I missed you." She admitted, biting her lower lip.

He growled out a moan, lifting her back against his body where he gently tugged the towel from around her, smiling as her curves were revealed. Every inch of her was just as he remembered. She was a little slimmer, a little more toned, but she tasted the same as he latched his lips to her collarbone and sucked gently there.

Her hands in his hair, her cries wanton and uncensored, he felt like they had never been apart as he worked down her body, inch by inch, kiss by kiss, finally taking her bud into his mouth.

He'd forgotten the sounds she could make, he'd forgotten how hard she could make him and he smiled smugly as he backed her up to the bed, so glad to be able to remember it all now, so frustrated at only having memories to replay.

His dreams, his imaginings; they were nothing compared to how it felt, lying between her thighs, feeling her wrap around him and touch him like this. They couldn't even begin to live up to the real thing.

"If only you knew…" He husked, against her thigh, kissing randomly to make her buck. He licked the tender skin inside her thigh and breathed out.

"Troy, don't do that…" She warned. "You know what I want…" Her hands were in his hair again, urging him away.

His tongue flicked into her and she arched, a pleasure-painful gasp echoing out as she fought for breaths and he smiled as he licked deep inside her again.

Yes, now he remembered everything. Her taste, her smell, the way she abandoned herself to his touch…

"Just take me, Troy…please…" She begged as he continued with his tongue.

"Almost…" He whispered, flicking his tongue across her nub, feeling her quiver with her impending orgasm. He worked his magic, waited for her crest to peak and fall, and then held her in his strong arms as her thighs housed his larger body.

"You shouldn't do that…" She complained, her body sated and soft with spent desire.

"It makes it so much more worthwhile…" He grinned against her neck, kissing her back to life, reawakening her need.

"But I should be pleasuring you," she argued, not knowing what she had done to deserve his attention like that.

"Oh, you are…" He assured, quickly wrapping on his protection.

"Then let me…" She insisted, rolling him onto his back, knowing he loved her to straddle him. She did just that, handling his heat before she took him deep inside and let her hands run up his torso.

"Gabri-ella Mont-ez…" He sighed out her full name, in a suggestive, almost dirty satisfied breath.

She rocked her hips, watched his face as he enjoyed the sensations, tightened her inner muscles to make him crinkle his face in bliss, then kissed him when she wanted more. And he gave it. He gently caressed her breasts, he tenderly curved his hands over her hips and helped her rhythm and he kissed her frequently, letting his hands tangle into her hair.

She threw her head back as he pressed his thumb into her curls, and he felt his restraint hit breaking point, wanting to take her with him.

"No…" She gasped in protest, gripping his arms, then leaning back and grasping his ankles, taking him deeper. "Not yet…" She begged of her climax, the one that hit her as he thrust upward, emptying his seed into his condom, leaving him motionless below her.

Her breaths were short and tight and she wondered briefly if his injuries hurt. Her silent question was answered as he shifted to comfort them both and he winced.

"Don't move…" She whispered, doing all his work for him, ridding his used sheath, dressing into her panties and then ready to lay at his side.

"Come here, tigress…" He murmured sleepily, his eyes closed as he held his arms out to her.

She frowned, wondering what he wanted. She crawled up his body and laid full frontal to him, where his arms wrapped around her and his hands immediately stroked their comfort up and down her back.

She turned her face so she could kiss his chest, then snuggled back against him. She hadn't expected that. Well, maybe she _had, _if their past was anything to go by, but she hadn't expected his forgiveness, his gentility.

"I love you, Troy." She whispered against his chest as he settled into sleep. "I love you so much."


	11. Old Promises

Ah thanks for following the story people- even if you're not sure about it (BlackSumo lol)

And cautious- Denzel had done his research on Troy and used his past to get him charged because Gabi slipped out on him thereby leaving him no-one else to blame/punish.

Hope it makes sense now :) As for Gabi, her reasons will become clear…

**Chapter 10**

She was sleeping on her front and he could stroke her hair as he lay over her, wanting to make love with her all over again even though he didn't fully trust her.

Why was she back? What had happened while she was gone? Was she afraid of being caught?

Or did she plan to use him again to soften the blow?

He wasn't going to return her words of love until he knew for sure that she wasn't pulling him into a trap. He wasn't going to fall for it again.

Her hair was shorter, sleek and at her shoulders, not the long mane he was used to, but he didn't care. Her shape was the same, her shoulders still small and smooth as he placed a kiss there and her waist still narrowed to a tiny middle. And then there were her hips, her backside that edged out further, creating a perfect round, two dimples placed above her butt cheeks, just begging to be kissed. He brushed the sheet away to reach, smiling against her skin as she stirred.

He was willing to prolong his questions and his distrust for now. He was willing to forget the way she left; how she hurt him, just to be able to love her again. Just to be able to _hold _her again.

And that seemed to be what she wanted as she sleepily rolled over and cuddled into him.

He kissed her hair, twisting his lips as his hope for more was crushed by her need for a cuddle, but he didn't begrudge her that. He'd be pretty much happy no matter what she wanted, just to have her close was enough.

But he knew he shouldn't be giving her the support she craved without demanding his answers. Only when she sighed out like that, grasping at him gently as if to burrow into his body, he couldn't help how his arms automatically tightened around her small frame and protected her at her request.

He couldn't help the smile that flitted across his lips or the overwhelming sense of protectiveness she stirred in him.

Denying her was going to be harder than he thought. Damn, it was impossible, who was he kidding?

But he had to try and remain a little alert. He had to make sure he didn't fall in love again.

Even though, as his eyes closed and he held her; he knew it was too late.

/

"I know what you're thinking…" She called to him as she showered, her voice carrying over the glass partition to where he shaved at the sink. She hadn't let him into the shower with her and his imagination was running wild loops at what she looked like wet and soapy.

"I don't think you do…" He murmured as he dragged his razor over his stubble.

"You're wondering why I came back, you're thinking I'm in trouble of some kind…" She narrated and he turned briefly, catching the hazy outline of her curves in the frosted glass, sighing as he allowed himself that pleasure and feeling the instant hardening of his body as he imagined joining her in there.

"It had crossed my mind, but honestly, if you knew what I was thinking, you wouldn't be in there while I was out here…" He mused.

"Troy…" She admonished, opening the shower door to give him a withering look.

"Seriously princess, you better keep that door closed unless you want me to violate you." He husked, flicking his gaze over her bare shoulders.

"Violate me?" She questioned with a little feline smile. "I'm curious now…"

"Don't tempt me…" He warned, holding out his arms to show her his ready body, covered only by his boxers.

Gabi eyed his aroused state and took a breath. She had sought his hug this morning, had wanted comfort. And he was holding back now; aware of that, not wanting to push the physical, despite the fact she deserved his punishment, whatever form it took.

She had the choice; he was giving it to her. And she knew what she wanted, before she even asked herself.

"You should come in," she widened the door for him. His steady blue gaze burned with desire and he breathed slowly.

"I'm not gonna be gentle this time, princess. I'm rock hard for you," his voice strained against his need.

"Get in here, Troy." She demanded, placing her hands to the tiled wall, settling her feet apart so her thighs were spread.

He winced at her surrender and briefly turned her, scooping his arms around her waist to kiss her mouth, running his hands down her sides and encompassing her backside. He lifted her thigh over his as his tongue traced her lower lip and begged for entry to her mouth. She allowed it, her hands moulding to his wet hair as their passion ignited in the small space of his shower and she arched back against his body.

"Do you want me, princess?" He ground out, knowing she did as he dipped his fingers into her intimacy.

"Oh, yes…" She managed to whimper, her whole body alert to his touch, quivering and relaxed with heightened sensations.

He turned her then, back to face the wall, gently parting her thighs and pushing between them, his heat slipping against her backside as he shook his head of the water that rained down on them both.

Her hands went back to the wall as she pressed back against his body, begging him to fill her and he knew he couldn't resist her any longer. He never could.

He gave his hardened length to her in one swift thrust, his promise of roughness coming true as she gasped at his sudden entry.

He kissed her neck in silent apology, thrusting again, feeling her wet heat burning back against him, taking her small, perfect breasts into his hands and claiming her completely.

His moans were of pained pleasure, his moves purely for his own satisfaction; it wasn't until he heard her cries that he roused from his thrusts to listen. She was crying, he realised. Each sob a little louder than the last, her body trembling with her hurt.

Oh god, had he hurt her? He would never forgive himself.

With all the restraint he possessed, he withdrew from her body and turned her, reaching behind to twist off the faucet and take her into his arms, his still hard body begging for reconnection with the naked woman in his arms.

He guarded her, pressing his chin to her head as he caught his breath and asked:

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head against his chest and continued to sob, her cries ripping from deep inside. Hadn't she wanted this as much as him? Hadn't she invited him in?

"Oh, fuck…" He swore, pulling her into his arms to carry her out, holding her to his chest. He quickly wrapped her in a towel and joined her on the bed, pulling his boxers onto his wet body with difficulty.

"Gabi, did I hurt you?" He asked again, his voice soft as his body throbbed with his need to consume her.

He cuddled her into his side, panicking as to what was wrong.

"I'm so sorry, Troy. I'm just so sorry…" She wept and he frowned, suddenly realising what this was. Her guilt over what had happened, he sorrow over how they had parted; and maybe her loss when she had left. He felt like she had missed him at least, when she clung to him like that and as much as he cursed the interruption to their love-making, he welcomed her in his arms.

"Shh, it's okay…" He soothed, stroking her hair gently, the damp strands difficult. He felt her shiver as the water cooled on her skin and he quickly dried her with brisk but gentle circles up and down her bare skin, never revealing her body in his ministrations. Instead he pulled his t-shirt over her towel and flipped the towel away, pulling her into his body as they lay back on the bed.

His lips touched her hair and he counted to ten, willing his body calm as the vulnerable girl in his arms sniffled and fidgeted, lending his hands to rub over her tenderly and sometimes through her damp hair.

"I'll look after you, okay?" He asked softly. "I promised I would."


	12. Caution

**Chapter 11**

Hank wasn't surprised that Troy had taken a night out to be with the girl he had talked about so often.

He was surprised the girl was here, and he was surprised to hear her voice, but he knew how strong the young man's feelings were for the mysterious brunette and so he waited patiently for him to come home.

His rocking chair on the porch gave him perfect waiting place for that, because he could see all around. And sure enough, there he was, pulling up in his truck, exiting with a small, dark haired girl who had coffee-coloured skin; and then he headed up the front path with her, hand in hand.

"Hank…" Troy approached awkwardly. "This is Gabi. The girl I told you about."

Hank nodded and eyed the small girl from top to tail.

"Nice to finally meet'cha…" He pulled his pipe from his mouth to speak and held out a hand to the Latino.

"Hi." Gabi greeted shyly.

"So you're the one that got his butt tossed into city jail?" Hank enquired, receiving a silencing glare from Troy.

She twisted her lips and blushed, meeting the older man's gaze. "I'm here to make amends." She promised.

"Hank, can she stay with us? With me, I mean? We'll share a room." Troy beseeched.

"That all depends on why she's here…" The old man tested, as though Gabi wasn't stood right there.

"I came for Troy." She announced, gripping his hand more tightly. "I came because I love him."

The older man's protectiveness was unexpected, but she also felt an overwhelming joy at the fact Troy had people who cared about him. Back in LA he'd seemed kind of lost, driving from job to job seeking somewhere he could call home.

As she watched the two men drift off to talk, she saw he had found it. Hank was grasping Troy's shoulder like his father might have; if he was in the picture. He was looking at her with understandable mistrust and curiosity.

She had to earn her way in, she understood that.

When they came back over she lifted her chin, expecting the worst.

"Well he wants you to stay so I don't got much choice…" The older man grumbled and she flicked her eyes to Troy, wondering if this was acceptance.

"You can stay." Troy affirmed and she nodded, biting into her lower lip. She'd quite like for him to take her into his room and remind her why they were good together. She'd quite like to finish their interrupted sex from last night. If she hadn't let her emotions get the better of her, they might have.

When he took her up the stairs to show her his room, she paused and thought of words.

"I'm sorry about last night…" She began nervously, her eyes taking in the space they would be sharing.

He looked up from his tidying, bemused. "Why?"

"Because I ruined it…for you." She tilted her head and blushed.

"No, you didn't." He smiled softly, brushing his hair back as he bent to retrieve some clothes from his floor and stood to toss them in the laundry.

"I can make it up to you…" She offered, stepping away from the closed door to reach him, pressing her hands into his chest.

"You don't need to make up for anything…" He assured, then let out a little pained groan as her hands cupped his manhood and she reached to kiss his jaw. "Then again…" He muttered, rolling his arms around her body to kiss her, finding their quick passion relighting easily as lips brushed lips and hands brushed skin.

"Gabi…" He husked, watching as she lowered his jeans, crouching with the action, her intent clear.

"Shh…" She admonished, gently running her hand up his torso- which she had already bared- his stomach muscles tightening at her touch.

"Don't…" He whispered, almost begging as her breath brushed his arousal and he closed his eyes when her lips made contact, his hips jerking in response and his knees weakening.

"Sit down…" She instructed, moving with him as he perched on the bed and she remained between his thighs, happy to please him to make up for her emotional breakdown in their crucial moment previously.

He leaned back on his hands as his body roared to life and buzzed with fire at the touch of her mouth to his most sensitive part. He closed his eyes, let his pleasured groans lead her and momentarily wished he could repay the favour.

"Mmm…so big…" She murmured, taking him into her mouth, enclosing her swollen lips over him and bringing out his masculinity like he had never known.

"I want to be inside you…" He gruffed, feeling his orgasm rising, riding it out against the expertise of her tongue.

When he lay back on the bed, panting, his arms cast across his eyes; she smiled to herself and slowly rose from the floor.

"Don't go…" He begged, opening his eyes as he straightened his arms out toward her. He was naked, she had made sure of that; but she was still in her flowery dress, one he lifted to kiss very gently up her body, quickly ridding before he curled her into his arms.

"What happens now, Montez?" He asked breathlessly, suckling her breast through her bra, then her neck in quick succession. Her knee rose up as she rubbed against his thigh, asking for more.

"Make love to me…" She answered, not realising what he meant. He smiled against her collarbone, flicked his tongue against her skin and spoke again.

"And then what?" He wondered. "You leaving again?"

Her arms curled around his neck as she sought his kiss and she took one, a burning, soul consuming kiss that left her aching and trembling for him; all of him.

"I'm not leaving unless you tell me to." She promised, her dark lashes sweeping up to reveal her level of desire. "I missed you too much."

He smirked. "What if you get recognised?"

Her panties were kicked down the bed. He'd slowly peeled off her bra and was distracted with kissing her hard peaks as he waited for her response.

"Then I'll go to jail, Troy. I'll take my punishment…" She swore.

"I feel like I want to punish you right now…" He growled, setting the tingling deep inside her into a burning rush.

"What did I do?" She gasped as he gently bit into her neck, marking her, turning her on so that all she felt inside was molten heat.

"You left me without a word…You let me think you were gone forever…You let me make love to you and I believed I would never get the chance to again." He husked, his breath tracking hotly over her body as he searched for his next spot to tease, pressing kisses down her ribs and lower, to her belly.

"You're right…I should be punished…Just be gentle with me, Troy. Just make the punishment…nice?" She asked, curling with delight at his lips, her hands running the expanse of his body as she waited for him to complete his foreplay, punishment in itself. She could feel his rigid heat against her inner thigh, her body called out for it as she arched and convulsed to be filled with him; but he kept up those ridiculously tempting kisses, smiling at each moan or sigh she made.

His kiss was hard, his body heavy as he braced between her thighs, ready to finish his intended action.

His thumbs brushed back her hair as he lay above her, his blue eyes flickering up and down her face, his body tense where he held back from what he wanted.

He was about the speak, his eyes spoke of it as did his sweet kiss, but instead, he joined them; one gentle, controlled movement that had her closing her eyes in bliss from the feeling of having him within her once more. It was like he belonged there, like they should always be like this and there was no other way to be. It was like she could love him until the stars in the sky faded or the moon tracked backwards. Whichever happened first.

He kissed her face, brushed his thumbs down her cheeks, moved his body slowly, so slowly, she thought she might die from the intensity of pleasure that it brought her.

It didn't matter how many times he made love to her, every time it felt different. Every time it felt stronger than before.

"Does this feel like punishment?" He murmured into her ear, nuzzling her neck.

She cried out as he pushed farther into her, his hands dropping to her waist to get his friction.

"Yes, Troy…" She couldn't have managed anything else, she was sure of it, as his lips pressed kisses down her jaw and her body trembled to his touch, the huge wave that was building and almost ready to crash.

He thrust his hips again, contradicting his rhythmic pulsing of before, making her bite her lip.

"I said be nice… She uttered, her hands ruining his hair as she raised her hips and tried to rush his tempo.

"Wait, tigress…" He shushed, his thumbs brushing down her belly as he refused to give up his gently swashing love-making to give into her need for more. Any minute now he half smiled-half grimaced…Any minute now…

He pressed a gentle thumb into her curls, resting all of his weight on one heavily muscled arm, curling his body so he could reach to French kiss her nipples, too and her excited pants almost undid him right there. He fought to hold on, flicked his tongue over her tight peak, pressed against her nub and felt the resounding sensations of her climax rock through her entire body, quiver by quiver, contraction by contraction.

"Oh...Troy…" She cried, wrapped around him, relishing every second of the deep orgasm he had inspired within her, not knowing how his gentle hands and strokes could bring such a wildly vivid reaction within her.

It was supposed to be about him…She worried as she fidgeted under his weight. It was supposed to be about _his _pleasure, about her chance to make it up to him…Why hadn't he let her?

"Hey, stop wriggling, beautiful…" He smiled as he tenderly kissed her lips. Her eyes were open as her face showed confusion and her body rolled as she tried to escape. Only he wasn't letting her up anytime soon. He had her exactly where he wanted her and he was going to enjoy it.

"I want to please you…it's my turn…" She explained, her shock showing as he gently grasped her wrists to keep her still, his heavier body weighting her to the bed still.

"You already have…" He promised. "I could do that all over again…" He grinned sleepily.

She groaned at his suggestion, knowing Troy was the only man she had ever loved over and over with no let-up in between. She still didn't know how her body coped. She still didn't know if he loved her.

It was the one thing she was waiting for him to say; the one thing she had come here to say and had done so and now waited to see if he would say it back.

"Do you really want me again?" She wondered, awed. "So soon?"

He answered with a lazy smile, kissing down her body, aiming for her centre for a second time and this time she gave into him, her body too relaxed to do anything else. She marvelled at how his tongue teased her body back to that place where dreams met rainbows and exploded and she felt like she would never stop shaking as his fingers filled her and replaced his body.

"I want you, Gabi." He panted, kissing her belly as she convulsed over again, against his hand.

She cried out at the thought of him deep inside her, her gasp evident as his body joined with hers again, his thumb pressing her nub to bring her orgasm against his shaft this time.

"I can't take much more…" She whined, her nerve endings stretched to breaking point.

"Last time, promise…" He husked, kissing her neck as she grasped his backside and urged him deeper.

"Don't stop, please don't stop…" She begged.

And he didn't, not until they both collapsed together on the bed, unable to move an inch without feeling the satisfying ache of their exertion. Her hands stroked his hair gently as he curled up against her body, being the one who was held rather than doing the holding.

She kissed his hair and stroked her small hand down his shoulder.

"You should rest," She murmured to him and he fidgeted a little, finally getting comfortable against her smaller body.

"I love you, Gabi." He sighed.


	13. Maude

**Chapter 12**

She was even sexier when she was semi-conscious if that were possible. He'd been kissing her and gently brushing circles on her body for the last ten minutes while she roused from her slumber and to feel her writhing and hear her sounds of pleasure was more enticing than usual.

She was face down again, allowing him to spoon her perfectly, only he wanted her awake so he could relieve his hard groin once more, directly into her body.

"What are you doing?" She enquired, but she wasn't angry; or resistant, she was turned on, he could feel it in the hardness of her nipples and the dampness between her thighs, where his fingers longed to dip.

He leaned to cover her body with his, whispering into her ear. "This is your early morning wake-up call…" He husked.

Her answering groan hit him deep in the belly and he encompassed each of her breasts with his hands, rubbing his arousal up against her backside.

"At least let me turn over…" She complained, fighting her mane of messy hair to see him.

"I'd quite like to take you like this, tigress. While you're all soft and relaxed and…" He dipped his finger into her intimacy, achieving his goal. "Wet…"

She struggled against the intense need he roused in her, even in this way, while she was barely awake. She wanted nothing more than for him love her how he wanted; it was the least she could do to attempt to make up for lost time.

She didn't need to tell him to be gentle; the last time she had, he had brought her to a quivering wreck. She felt his thighs press between hers, his heat lining up for entry from behind.

"Just say my name, baby, once…" He begged, kissing her shoulder.

"Troy…" She breathed, smiling at his answering groan.

"Again…" he demanded, cupping her breasts still, dropping a hand to touch her nub.

"Oh, Troy…" She moaned it this time, wantonly.

He slipped into her, their position not one for friction or leverage, but her tightness was outstanding as she tipped her knee up, allowing him deeper entry.

"I never knew…" She murmured, feeling him thrusting from behind, pushing her into the bed a little, shocked at the intimacy of their position.

"I'm glad you woke up…" He offered, his thumbs brushing her nipples.

Each touch brought her a step closer. Each whimper she made, brought him nearer the edge of his sanity. Finally, finally, they both found their peaks and remained in their blissful embrace until they woke enough to speak again.

"Would you have made love to me while I slept?" She rolled over, into his arms.

"No!" He argued quickly, looking down into her face. "What kind of guy do you think I am?"

"Apparently a bad boy." She remarked.

"Did you want me to?" He asked back, his interest piqued.

She shrugged. "I just wondered how it would feel; with someone you trust." She answered honestly.

"How did it feel this morning?" He wondered.

"Amazing." She smiled against his chest, loving that his arms tightened around her.

"Are you sore, did I take too much, baby?" He worried, stroking his thumb down her cheek.

"Somehow my body recovers for you, Troy." She mused.

"If I ever hurt you…" He began unsurely.

She kissed his chest. "You didn't ever."

She wondered if he knew he had told her he loved her. He hadn't said it since and he didn't seem likely to. That was a perfect moment for him to say it, she thought. She guessed then, the words must have slipped from his lips while he was unconscious; so although the feeling was there, he wasn't ready to share it, and she couldn't blame him.

She just wondered how long it would be before he would say it. And she hoped she wouldn't be found before he did.

/

"Why now?" He flicked his blue eyes up from the crusty bread he tore in his gentle hands, chewing on a hunk as she helped herself to cheese and ham from the spread Hank had provided, before vanishing again.

She had been expecting the questions. She even expected his difficulty to trust her. She just hadn't prepared an answer.

"I missed you." She said honestly.

"And…" He arched his brow knowingly.

She sighed, twisting her lips, dropping the chunk of cheese she was about to consume. "And the money is gone." She added honestly.

"Wow…" He breathed out through his nose, a little stunned by her complete revelation.

"That's not why I came to find you…" She frowned crossly. "It's why I figured I was safe enough to move…"

He shook his head, squinting. "I just don't know if I can trust you."

She nodded sadly, fiddling with the food on her plate. "I know."

Hank didn't, that was for sure. The older man hadn't made his sceptism subtle. He out and out didn't like her being here; and he doubted her intentions toward Troy. It seemed Hank saw Troy as some kind of replacement son and she was the evil girlfriend painted in the picture.

The one who had left him in the hands of the FBI, arrested for a crime she had planned and executed perfectly all on her own. She could just see Denzel's face now; it was the ultimate insult to him that she had achieved such a thing.

At the time, she had been so hot for the steal. She'd wanted it so badly to take back everything he had taken from her in the months she had worked for him. Only now; it almost didn't seem worth it. Because along the way, she had fallen in love. And the object of her affection had been brought down wrongly because of her actions and she had never wanted that.

She had never wanted Troy to be put into that situation.

Still, it was Denzel who had instigated that, despite her best attempts not to involve her lover and she couldn't do anything now to change the past. She could only try and make up for it; if he let her.

"I'm going into town later…" He said into the quiet that reigned while she struggled to think how to make it up to him.

"Okay." She smiled softly.

"Why don't you come with me, come meet my new friends…" He suggested.

She peeked her brown eyes up, wondering if this was what she hoped- involvement in his life.

"I'd like that." She affirmed.

He nodded "Good."

/

"Hey, Maude where are ya, doll?" He called with a happy grin, leading Gabi by their entwined hands into the dark bar, the sunlight barely scraping through the shutters to reveal the streams of dust flying through the dirty air.

"Are you sure she'll want to meet me?" Gabi wondered nervously, not bolstered by Hank's reaction.

"She'll kill me if I don't introduce you…" He remarked affectionately.

"Hey sexy!" Stella squealed, pitching across the bar, oblivious to Gabi as she attached her self, all limbs, to Troy's body.

"Hey Stella…" He chuckled back, holding her before placing her down gently and her hands went to his face in concern.

"Are you okay, we were so worried…Stanley got barred, he's not coming back…" She babbled quickly, then paused as she looked over his shoulder and spotted the pretty Latino hiding shyly behind.

"Who's that?" Stella asked, appealing to Troy with her large blue eyes.

"Stella, this is Gabi. The girl I told you about…" He hinted at their conversation of the previous night. He reached behind him to bring Gabi to his side, his arm wrapping around her gently.

"You're the _one_?" Stella gasped to the petite girl, eyeing Troy and her equally. "_She's_ the one?" She repeated.

He blushed and fidgeted awkwardly. "Yeah, she's…" He began, to try and stop her saying was she was obviously about to say.

"The one you're in love with?" Stella blurted, excitedly hugging Gabi.

Troy lifted his brows and o'd his mouth at her execution of his secret, sighing out a tempered breath.

"Thanks, Stel." He muttered.

"She doesn't _know_?" Stella gawped even more, covering her red painted mouth with both hands as her eyes went wider, if possible.

"She does now…" He ground out, his jaw twitching between clenched teeth.

"I'm so sorry!" Stella beseeched Gabi. "I didn't know you didn't know…"

Gabi was struggling to control the heavy, excited rhythm of her heart at hearing Troy's feelings pronounced that way. He'd told this girl he was in love with her? Had they almost had something? Had he told her to let her down gently; or did he genuinely have feelings for her that still haunted him?

She couldn't get any answers while the blonde in front of her looked so horrified so she smiled warmly instead, grasping the girl's forearms.

"It's okay, Stella. Honestly, don't worry…" She assured.

Stella nodded slowly and looked between them both while Gabi twisted her hands together nervously.

"I guess I should give you a minute…" Stella guessed. "I'll go get mom, she's gonna freak when she sees you…"

His hands were in his pockets when she turned to him and opened her mouth to speak, stunned.

"Go ahead and say it…" He rolled his eyes, twisting like a boy.

"Say what?" She asked, intrigued.

"That I'm crazy to be telling everybody I was in love with you." He explained.

"Was?" The small word hurt her and began a panic in her chest.

"Okay, am…" He adjusted, looking down to her finally and meeting her inquisitive gaze.

"Are you?" She checked, not wanting to believe it. She only got back a day ago, it was too soon to even hope he could; let alone learn he actually _did _love her.

He shifted his hand from his pocket to cup the back of her head, holding her gaze to his.

"I have been since the day you crashed into my cab." He husked, bending the distance between them to kiss her, feeling her small arms winding around his neck as she kissed him back with fervour and then he locked his arms around her waist and pulled her close, moaning in gentle satisfaction at having her close enough to be able to do so.

"I still don't know how…" She wondered, her eyes dancing shades of brown that intrigued him.

"Me either…" He mused, sipping a small kiss from her lips. "But the fact you're a tigress in bed has _a lot _to do with it."

She giggled at his innuendo, cuddling around his middle, just as a high pitched scream wailed out and Maude launched herself at Troy, the second female to do as much in the space of five minutes.

"Troy my darling!" Maude cried, rushing right into his arms as he laughed and hugged her back.

"Hey. Maude." He smiled as she checked his wounds.

"I heard what Stanley did last night, I was getting a barrel up, I'm sorry I wasn't here to welt him one…" The older lady crossed her arms, and then smiled at Gabi. "You must be his lover?"

Gabi smiled bemusedly at the woman's terminology but beamed back all the same.

"I guess you could say that…" Gabi allowed drily.

"It's nice to put a face to a name…" Maude said gently, hugging the smaller girl much the same way Stella had.

Gabi nodded. "I couldn't be away from him any longer." She shared cutely.

"I'm not surprised. Your Troy is a breath of fresh air round here. Don't mind that he's a good-looker either!" Maude complimented, making him fidget nervously.

"He is handsome…" Gabi agreed, wrapping both her arms around one of his affectionately.

"You have to come for dinner." Maude decided for them. Troy flashed a look down to Gabi.

"We don't want to impose, Maude…" He quickly denied.

"Nonsense. You young lovers have to come and tell us all about your lovely romance…" Maude smiled.

"Oh…joy…" Troy grimaced.

"We'd love to, Maude." Gabi assured more warmly.

"Right that's set then. Tonight at eight."


	14. Don't Leave

Hey everyone thanks for the reviews, keep them coming :D Sorry I couldn't update yesterday.

**Chapter 13**

"You _told _ her!" Troy bemoaned as they scattered onto the street outside Maude's bar, having been entertained for the night upstairs in her flat. "I can't believe you _told _her!"

Gabi let her hand entwine with his quickly, hanging off his arm as she pressed her head into his strong arm. "She asked me what our love life was like!" She defended.

"You didn't have to _tell _her!" He complained, shooting her a bemused look as his eyes crinkled in amusement-come-bewilderment.

"I only said you were amazing in bed." She reasoned, stopping him to kiss his jaw. "Which technically, you are…"

"You said I was an animal in bed; there's a difference…" He remarked drily.

She gasped in mock pretend. "You should be grateful!"

"I should be grateful that my two best female friends in town are now imagining me as an animal in bed…" He tipped his head, trying to understand her argument.

"Well _I'm _imagining you in bed…" She flirted. "They should have the same pleasure…"

He captured her in his tight arms and kissed her deeply. "You're walking rocky ground, tigress." He promised sexily.

"Rocky, mmm…" She nodded, rubbing against him, smiling audaciously.

"Do you _want _me to take you right here, in the middle of the street?" He enquired, still wrapping her into his body as tight as she would get. "Because you're going the right way about it…"

"How far home?" She whispered, running her hands into his hair, reaching up to kiss below his ear.

"Too far…" He growled, grasping her backside and bringing her against his sudden needful heat.

His tongue plunged into her mouth as she whimpered and ached to get closer to him, despite their constant togetherness since her arrival in town.

She could never get enough of his deep kisses; never tire of his hands on her body this way.

"Troy…" She panted out, darting looks around to search for a haven.

"I know, princess, but you started this game…" He gruffed, his breaths slewing in and out fiercely.

"Silly me…" She chastised herself, biting her lower lip. "Your truck?" She enquired, seeing his eyes cloud over at the thought of having found somewhere close they could end this urge to be closer.

"You little minx," He grinned, taking her hand and leading her to his parked vehicle quickly.

Clambering inside, they were all hands and kisses as they clasped to be bare; together, skin on skin.

"Slow down, princess…" He groaned as she stripped him keenly, his own hands baring her flesh and tasting when he could.

"I can't…" She moaned back, her whine desperately calling for more of him and the thought that she wanted him so badly had him stiff and aching with need in seconds.

"Am I that irresistible?" He teased, cupping her face, kissing her mouth for the short moments she allowed him.

"Its all that talk about how great you are in bed…" She breathed out, climbing across his lap as he sat in the back seat of his truck and thumbed her breasts with an openly appreciating gaze.

"_We_, tigress." He adjusted, knowing that he wouldn't have half this passion with anyone else. She squirmed in his lap as she protected him and then she joined them, his hands on her hips as he arched back to sink into her depths.

If anyone could see them now, he mused with a blissful grin as Gabi began rocking against his hips, her movements bringing nothing but washes of pleasure over him. He would have taken the punishment of the law; the visit from the FBI and Denzel's threats all over again just for this moment, dipping into her body and connecting their souls.

"You got me, princess, okay?" He panted, connecting their fingers as she fought for intimacy, for that moment they both drove for. "I'm yours…I love you."

Her cry out was ecstatic, both from his words and because her body hit the highest peak it could manage, in the arms of this man.

She still wondered how it were possible that they combusted like that; every time they came together.

"Why is once never enough with you?" She asked as she kissed him in soft, small kisses on the mouth, still feeling him inside her. He had reached his peak, she was sure of it, because he was panting as harshly as her.

But she always wanted more of him, she could never get enough and as she found a fresh sheath and began their rhythm all over again, she knew he was her real down fall. Troy was her danger.

Because she forgot about everything else when she was coming undone in his arms; she forgot about everyone and everything and became slave to his touch.

His tongue flicked over her nipple as they more slowly loved and she felt the resulting hot flash run right between her thighs, tightening him there inside her.

"Forever, Troy…" She murmured, lifting her arms above her head to stretch her beautiful body before him as she controlled him with her thighs. "I want you forever…"

/

Gabi wasn't sure how he got them home. She knew he wrapped her up in his jacket to cover her naked body while he carried her into the house, across his chest. She knew he must have pulled his own clothes on to get there; but when she woke the next morning, he was bare apart from his boxers and he was spooning her deliciously in his large bed.

She seemed to have been assigned his t-shirt for nightwear and she realised he had replaced her underwear and she smiled at his tenderness, even after the striking moments of desire they shared.

It was all their relationship was based on; that fantastic sex; until these moments unearthed themselves and his arms cuddled her so protectively. She never dreamed she could have both, she smiled. She never dreamed she could have this, at all.

"You smell like sweet heaven…" He husked on a grin, nuzzling her neck.

"You feel like Adonis and then some…" She arched back against him gently, receiving his hard arms all the way around her.

"I'll squeeze harder…" He growled, making her giggle.

"I can't breathe!" She complained, loving being held so tightly.

"Mmm, I could get used to this…" He murmured, kissing her neck, then her shoulder, then her arm.

"What am I going to do, Troy?" She worried cautiously, twisting in his arms as he loosened his hold.

"Stay in my bed. I have plenty of work for you here," His eyes crinkled with his smile.

"I wanted to be an editor…I wanted it so badly and then I did this _stupid _thing, this really stupid, but brilliant, thing." She mused.

"Why did you do it?" He asked then, intrigued.

She sighed, knowing this was a big secret. She hoped she could trust him with it.

"I admit, when I started the plan, it was because of what Denzel was doing." She began, touching his chest with her small fingers. "I just wanted to feel like he wasn't _completely _in control…that I could take something back, you know?"

He nodded, kissing her forehead. "It's okay…"

"But the money…I had to have the money." She added shyly.

"Didn't we all…" He agreed ruefully.

"Not for me, Troy. Although, I understand why you did it, too." She allowed, kissing him quickly. "The money was for my sister. She was born with a brain tumour and it was her last chance. The promotion would have given me enough but then Denzel had to ruin it all, he had to ruin everything…"

The tears slid down her face and he cuddled her while he stroked her hair.

"That's where you went?" He checked. "To see your family?"

"Yep…" She nodded, burrowing into his chest. "They did the op. It was a total success. Mary is recovering well."

"You came back for me even though your sister had a brain tumour?" He asked, awed.

"I told you, Troy. I love you." She looked up, leaned on his chest to reach his mouth and moaned as he caught her against his muscled body in receiving her kiss.

"Enough to leave your family?" He questioned. "Enough to risk being caught?"

"That much." She agreed, her brown eyes directly meeting his.

"You don't know what you do to a guy…" He groaned, wrapping her up in his arms.

"I kinda do…" She giggled, feeling his body reacting already.

"What's your solution?" He wondered, thumbing her sleek hair from her face as it washed down from her position above him.

"Sex?" She offered back, unashamedly.

"Well you are a tigress…" He husked, rolling over and pushing his way into the gap between her thighs with his weight.

"Troy!" She gasped as he quickly slipped her t-shirt up her torso and suckled her nipple.

"Too rough?" He asked with a lazy grin.

"Too sexy…" She smiled back, letting her hands explore him over again, even though she knew his form, his muscle and his body well enough by now.

"Open for me…" He whispered, kissing down her belly as her hands ruined his hair and he headed for her centre, her thighs clamped tightly to his sides.

"No more, Troy…" She whined. "I can't take any more…"

"Let me prove you wrong…" He licked her intimately, kissed her and brought her orgasm hard and fast between her quivering legs. He loved how he could have her whimpering for him with just a few ministrations from his mouth.

"Please stop…" She begged, the sweet ache building again as he began over again, alternating his flicks and kisses, surprising her with his tongue. He couldn't have stopped if he tried. She thrashed and wriggled and bucked to be free of his tender loving, but he wouldn't let up. Even though he knew her body might be too sensitive to encompass his swollen need now; even though he was putting his own urges on the back burner; he would happily do that just to see her bliss, just to hear her vocalised desire and feel her body shimmy like that, orgasming to his touch.

"Did you always come like that, princess?" He asked, kissing soft lips up her hip toward her collarbone again.

"I…I don't know…" She breathed, still heady with desire, still in a fog of pleasure.

"If you did, the guy that let you go, he must be crazy…" He mused, nuzzling the flesh of her breast, but holding back from kissing just yet.

He smiled as her hands worked over his muscular back, finding their own pleasurable path as he continued to drown her with sweet sensations.

"I don't think I ever…with anyone…" She offered vaguely.

"You never _came_?" He enquired, his breath fanning out hotly against her nipple, puckering the skin.

She whimpered and went to press her thumb there, needing touch. He captured her wrist and tied it above her head with his gentle hand; following suit on her other side, trapping her under his heavy weight.

"Maybe…I can't remember…" She answered, popping her dark eyes open to ask what he wanted to finish her pain.

"Must have been bad…" He murmured with a curly smile, flicking the very tip of his tongue over the tiniest peak of her nipple. She groaned and curled at the merest touch, dampening deep inside.

"Why are you punishing me, Troy? I already took my punishment for leaving you…I already suffered," she beseeched.

"Because I love watching you, tigress. I love watching your face as I do this…" Another lick to her breast. "Or this…" He leaned up, gently suckled her neck.

"Stop watching me, start loving me…" She argued.

He chuckled, a pained moan leaving his lips as she used her body to rub against his, causing slickened friction.

"Okay, you're right…its hell…" He agreed, dipping his head to finish his intended foreplay, receiving his own punishment as he went to enter her and she rose at the wrong moment.

"See how you like it…" She grinned felinely, trapped under his body but still with some power.

"Don't make me take you…" He warned huskily, delighted at her teasing.

"You'll have to…I don't want you anymore…" She mocked.

"You don't want me…?" He teased back, surprised.

"Nope." She bucked again, her insides burning for him while she tried to deny him and pay him back.

"You got me, anyway…" He breathed, finally pinning her to the bed and thrusting deep into her body.

She cried out, pleasure and pain folding over each other as his quick entry shocked her body at the same time it pleasured it.

He drove into her, seeking more, seeking a deeper place as she struggled to match him, whimpering at each stroke, desperate to meet his demands.

His hands claimed her curves, her own clawed at his muscular body, voracious for skin, for hard, unforgiving flesh as she arched up and up to satisfy him.

His teeth sank into her shoulder, his lips bruised kisses over her torso as their breaths mixed wildly and flew in and out with cries of ecstasy and together they came to their pinnacles, tensed, arched, poised to spring as their bodies gave way and their sparkling shower of stars rained over them both, surrendering them to the bed below.

The bed that creaked under the strain of their actions.

"Don't ever do that to me again…" He husked, stroking her hair back, too sated to move even though he was conscious of crushing her. But she was wrapped around him happily, clutching on and crying.

"You took me to heaven and back…" She explained with a shaky smile when he looked at her questioningly.

"That's a bad thing?" He wondered, kissing her tears away.

"I never…I never loved anyone like this before." She bit her lower lip.

He rolled to one side then, pulling her into a gentle cuddle at his side where he could rub her back and soothe her.

"It's okay, princess. It's ok that we love each other." He assured.

Only she knew it wasn't. It wasn't okay because then he became her weakness, her target if she ever had to face her crime.

And even if in that moment she knew she'd never love anyone else the same, she knew she couldn't bear to see him hurt, either.

"Don't leave me." She begged, clutching him close. "Don't leave."


	15. Denzel's Revenge

**Chapter 13**

'LAPD are concerned about the disappearance of established businessman, Denzel Lautner. His partnership company, George & Lautner recently suffered financially when Lautner's secretary, Gabriella Montez embezzled company funds to use for her own purposes. Gabriella fled into secret hiding and Lautner implicated her accomplice in the deed was renowned embezzler, Troy Bolton. FBI investigations released Bolton free from suspicion, however friends of the formidable businessman say he has been on a revenge mission since.

Bolton relocated to quiet Nashville to escape further intrusion into his previously guarded, but clean life and now worries are surfacing that Lautner will track him down in an attempt to find the woman that fleeced him.

Several sources intimate that Gabriella was embroiled in a complicated office affair that involved both Lautner _and_ Bolton, in an attempt to gain vital knowledge from the master of embezzlement to commit her crime; then indulging in office affairs with her boss to keep him off the scent.

No-one knows the real truth behind the whole scenario, but tonight Denzel Lautner is reported missing- and public are being asked to report his whereabouts if he is sighted.'

The radio report had Gabi biting her nails in anxiety and taking short, pained breaths at the news.

Her worst fears were coming true. _Why now?_

She had just spent that beautiful, amazing night with her guy and it was all ruined with one, easy flush.

"So you think you know engines?" Troy grinned behind her as she leaned over the hood of Hank's truck and worried.

He must have missed the radio report while he was getting his wrench. She looked up to him, finding his image appealing. He was smudged with oil, dirty and manly; his well-built torso encased in a wife-beater and checked shirt; his jeans tight on his powerful thighs and his hair banded with a cotton tie.

"You are too sexy, Bolton." Gabi accused, turning. He placed his wrench on the side of the car bonnet with slow care and wrapped his hands around her thighs, stooping low to reach. His mouth kissed hers as he gently lifted her, perching her on the edge of the open car hood and using his gentle hands to persuade her legs around his waist.

"Let's forget car mechanics and test this hood…" He pressed into her suggestively. She smiled back, and then took a breath.

"We shouldn't get too wrapped up…" She hedged.

"Uh-oh…" He leaned back, wiping his bruised cheek, wincing a little at the pressure on his sensitive skin.

"Uh-oh, what?" She asked back, stalling.

"You're doing that thing where you make it sound like you're leaving, again." He remarked with a wry lopsided lip curl.

"He's looking for me, Troy." She stated softly.

"What?" He asked, instantly worried.

"It was just on the radio…he's been reported missing and his friends have said he's been looking for revenge since I left." She explained tiredly.

"You're not leaving…" He smiled bemusedly. "Not now I know that!"

"Just…think." She begged, pressing her hands to his biceps and ignoring the physical pull it tugged inside her. "It's me he wants. If I'm with you; he'll only want to take you down, too."

"Then let him." He stood tensely, steadying her as he remembered she was perched precariously on the edge of the truck. "He can do what he wants as long as I go down protecting you, I don't care."

"Troy!" She beseeched, hopping down from the vehicle to take his gaze after her, where she folded her arms in the drive. "Don't you _get _it?" She asked, tears now springing from her eyes.

"I get that you're afraid I'll get hurt…" He allowed.

"What about _killed_, Troy? I'm not just afraid you'll get hurt, I'm afraid you'll be _killed._" She announced.

"But you don't care if you are? Gabi, I love you and I just got you back; I'm not willing to let you die anymore than you are me," he swore.

"I'll be ok. I always have been." She assured.

He slowly made his way down the drive to her and stopped an inch away, bending to kiss her mouth and finger her hair.

"It's not just you, anymore. You have me to think of, too." He persisted.

"Which is why I'm taking you out of harm's way." She continued her hard line, his kiss hard to resist.

"Which is why I'm not letting you go." He counter-acted, wrapping her into his arms, her arms folded and all.

"You have to, Troy…" She hitched a sob, begging him to help her with the hard work of having to say goodbye. She couldn't cope if he left it all to her. He _had _to be halfway on this or she'd never make it through.

"Not a chance." He husked, feeling her arms loosen and slowly go around his middle as he continued his protective hold.

"Please…don't make this any harder for me…don't make me hurt even more…" She bawled into his chest, and it was like she was talking to her boss again and that the words were meant for him.

"I'm not going anywhere and neither are you." He assured, holding her tightly as she cried into his chest. "It's time I made a plan…."

/

She was asleep, in the old armchair at the back of the garage, covered in a blanket while he worked. The radio was on quietly in the background and Troy had heard the repeated report of Denzel's disappearance and he had felt his tummy constrict with his concern over his beautiful girl, laying there; so vulnerable in the chair.

Her dark lashes rested against her cheeks as he came round to check on her, polishing a car bit as he frowned with the thoughts invading his brain.

She nestled in her slumber, restlessly and he found a smile gracing his lips as he watched her.

She was the most beautiful being, the most perfect woman he could have ever hoped for and here he was, guarding her with his very life. All while trying to fight her insistence that he should be letting her go.

He was afraid to leave her for one second in case she did something stupid like run out on him and his heart clutched at the thought of not being able to say goodbye.

But he was adamant he wouldn't have to. He would keep breaking down her walls, he would keep assuring her they were in this together; and when Hank came home he would tell the old man his plan.

He would miss this town and the people like he never knew he could, but they had to go on the run together; that much seemed clear. They couldn't stage a showdown here and ensure the safety of his new friends and he wasn't willing to take that risk. He had Gabi; they had decided they were willing to give everything to keep her safe, but no-one else needed to be involved.

He had friends who could hide them. He had people who could fight. And then he had acquaintances he had long hoped to forget, who promised to carry out any deadly deed he desired, all at the right price.

And right now, he was sorely tempted to use one of those dark promises. But he had to get them out, first.

"Are you eyeing me up?" Gabi squinted with one eye, smiling cutely as she stretched.

"Aren't I always?" He asked back with an equally relaxed smile, painting over his previous thoughts quickly.

"Well?" She asked expectantly.

"Well what?" He asked back, faking innocence.

"Are you going to take me to bed and make a woman of me?" She wondered, lifting her arms up to be carried.

He grinned with a chuckle and bent to lift her into his arms. That earned him a tonguing kiss from her.

"I'll take you to bed…" He narrated, carrying her through the house and up the stairs. "But only so you can sleep." He lay her down.

She pouted. "But you look so sexy, all covered in grease…I wanted to…"

"Whoa!" He held his hands out, closing his eyes to her writhing body on his bed.

"You don't want me now…" She asked in a tiny, vulnerable voice that laced under his skin and had him aching to delve into her heat in an instant.

"You need to rest…" He argued, opening his eyes, drinking in the revelation of skin she had achieved while he wasn't looking.

She was completely bare, on her back and waiting for him.

"I need you." She said simply, her submissive pose doing all kinds of things to him.

"I'm black all over, tigress. You want paw marks?" He asked back, still feet away from her and trying to resist her tempting game.

"Yes, please…" She grinned happily, her sleepy demeanour only making her sexier to his eyes.

"I promised I wouldn't do this…" He muttered under his breath, coming into the room further, flinging off his shirt.

"Promised who?" She wondered.

"Myself…I promised I would take care of you from now on…" He gruffed, kneeling to the bed, between her thighs, earning a deep, long kiss that snaked him into her trap.

"Oh, take care of me, Troy." She said suggestively, writhing against his willing body.

"Don't I always?" He asked back, submitting to her kisses and her body, taking them to their sacred place again, a place he knew he was addicted to and couldn't ever leave.

"Promise me now, you won't leave." He begged, stroking her body as she sighed and wrapped around him afterwards.

"I can't, Troy." She sighed.

"You can. It's easy. You just say the words and you mean them." He argued.

"I'm not going to lie to you. Not again." She said.

"Then don't. Just say it and mean it." He held her tighter and she could feel his fear because she felt it too. The thought of not being with him hurt. It hurt a lot. But if it came to a moment and she thought he was in danger, then she _would_ leave. And she wasn't prepared to put him in danger just to appease his fear.

"I can't, Troy." She repeated again, crying again. "Please don't ask me again."

"I want you with me Gabi. I'll protect you. I'll look after you and love you; but I can't do that if you leave. It'll break my heart." He vowed.

"We're just lovers, Troy. Just two people loving each other in the middle of a damn ridiculous scenario and it's not worth what you're willing to give." She reiterated.

"I'm willing to give you everything. I want to be with you until I grow old and die." He promised, kissing her hair again as she sniffled in his arms.

"I want you to grow old, Troy. And if you die as a result of something I created, I would never forgive myself." She announced, sitting up, leaving the bed to end their conversation.

"Wait…" He called, but she didn't. She grabbed her clothes and ran out of the room, out into the street and beyond.

By the time he caught her up, she was gone and he berated himself for making her run like that.

He just prayed she didn't run too far.


	16. Forever or Goodbye

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! I met Zac Efron at the UK premiere of Charlie St Cloud last night so I'm happy about that and sad he's gone already :'(**

**I hope everyone enjoys the chapter.**

**Ang**

**Chapter 15**

"I want to marry you, Gabi." His voice was a husk as she watched the sun dip below the horizon, the sound of his truck having tipped her off to his presence, only she hadn't expected those to be the first words from his mouth.

His arms encompassed her from behind and his chin touched her shoulder.

"I want to be with you every day." He added.

She closed her eyes to his persuasion and sighed out silently from her lush lips. She turned in his arms and let him hold her.

"I feel it, too." She smiled against his chest.

"Then marry me and we'll be together- properly." He asked.

"Troy, people who know each other for two months don't get married and last…" She pointed out, lifting her head from his chest to let him lead her back to his truck.

"Then you want me to give up on us?" He asked, his blue eyes boring into hers and asking how.

"No, of course not." She sighed, brushing her palm over the back of his head as they reached the truck and stood.

"Then what?" He asked.

"I just want you to stop pushing me. I just want you to accept if I have to go…" She explained.

He let her go and stood straight, frowning. "You may as well leave now. And leave knowing that you ripped out my heart." He stated flatly.

Her brown eyes held his, read the hurt there, knew the emotions he spoke of. Her own heart felt the same when she was apart from him before.

But she couldn't see any other way.

Could she really give in to him?

"Make love to me, Troy." She asked, walking two steps and resting her backside on the bumper of the truck.

"What?" He asked, annoyed.

"One last time, make me yours…and then I'll go. I'll make it short and sweet and we can get on with our lives…" She suggested.

He stalked over to her position, stood before her and took breaths in and out as he fought her words.

He pressed his knee gently between hers and she twisted her fingers onto his neck for balance, awaiting his kiss.

He bent over, brushing against her with excruciating slowness, letting his hands cup her backside and hold her loosely against him.

His whiskers rasped her skin, sensitised her neck where he very gently kissed. She hitched for breaths, both hurt and passion mingling, capturing her moan before she emitted it.

Finally he spoke, his voice quiet, gravelly and denoting his own upset as he strained to speak.

"If I make love to you now, it won't be the last time, Gabi. Know that when I take you, it's to make you mine, forever." He whispered, his lips brushing her ear; his words making her cry.

She couldn't do anything but submit to him; give herself to his strong demand and pray he would forgive her.

Right there, on the hill, in the last light of dusk; with the soft pinks and oranges haloing their bodies, he lay her back on the bonnet and loved her like he never had.

Their bodies were connected as one, moved as one and pleasured as one. Their cries were soaked by the vastness around them, their pants swallowed by the cold metal that supported their act of love.

And as Troy cradled her afterwards, tears cascading his own face as they both cried for their impending loss, he knew he had to do everything in his power to keep her.

And save her from herself.

/

She was there, when he cracked open his eye at sun up and squinted to check she hadn't escaped already. They were bunking in his back seat on the same hill they had loved on and he cuddled her a little tighter, protecting her in his arms like he had so many times.

He knew it was time to leave and he was ready for a change of scenery; ready to go on the run.

Maude and Stella hugged him between them in a Sonny's sandwich that he hadn't wanted to be released from and then Maude had given him a packed lunch the size of Iceland.

Gabi was sound asleep locked in his truck while he finished his business around town and finally headed back to say goodbye to his best friend. Hank really was a true father to him and he was going to miss the old man's friendship the most.

"She got you on the run, now." He said pointedly, in that way he did.

"I know, Hank. But you know I can't let her out against him alone." He added.

"You're a good boy. You're like my own…" The man admitted, pulling him in for a rough hug. "Who's gonna do my cars now?"

"I'll be back." Troy winked. "Just you see."

"I hope so, son. I hope I don't gotta hear about you getting hurt any…" Hank said sadly.

"I'm tough, old man." He assured.

"Look after her…" Hank said next, surprising him as he gestured toward Troy's idling truck behind him.

"You mean you care?" He asked drily.

"She's a beauty, I'll give you that." Hank smiled. "And I can see she put the sun in your smile."

Troy nodded. "I didn't think it was possible to fall in love so fast…"

"Took me two minutes to fall in love with my late wife, Jane." Hank shared. "Got married the week after and had forty six years together…"

"There's hope for us yet." Troy mused.

"She takes care of you too, I see it, don't think I don't." Hank shared.

Troy smiled at him and gave him another hug. "She takes real good care of me, but

nothin' like you, buddy."

"Look after yourself out there…" Hank pressed a card into Troy's hand and Troy frowned in question.

"What's this?" He asked.

"A guy I know. If it gets down to the wire and you need bailing out, call him, okay?" Hank asked.

"Thank you. For everything."

"Get out of here, pretty boy. Go and save the girl…" Hank patted his arm.

Troy turned and headed for the truck, quick tears coming to his eyes as his fondness for the older man overcame him for a second.

He got into the truck; looking down on the dark haired girl in his backseat and feeling a fresh wave of emotions erupt.

_It was for the best._

He put his key into the ignition and roared the engine to life, staring straight ahead as he focused his mind on what lay ahead.

He just hoped he could keep her safe through it all.

He just hoped he could keep her alive.

**END OF PART 2**


	17. Touch and go

**Aw thanks for reviews :') Here's PART 3 :)**

For those of you who asked, I met Zac at the UK premiere of Charlie StCloud, I was in the wheelchair section with my mum who's in a wheelchair and my friend who has ME and he came into the actual area to have pictures with everyone and he kissed my friend on the cheek- ahh! I got a photo taken with him and he signed my picture- it was one from his Munich premiere and he was like 'Oh this was from two days ago!' and then we told him we did the birthday book for him and he was like 'Ohhhh! Thankyou!' he really was so sweet! I'd also made a Charlie StCloud doll that my friend handed to him so we took a picture of him holding it and he was so chuffed- ah, what a guy :D He signed the T-shirt on it in tiny writing and everything 3 But then the day after we're like nooo it's over already :'( Still, wicked night, he looked amazing. Can't wait to see the film now!

Maccanut: He's about 5 foot 10 or 11, his eyes are indescribable but totally blue and hypnotising and I didn't really smell him I'm afraid!

**Chapter 16**

He was in pretty bad shape.

His beard was long and covering his sharp jaw line, he was wearing a trench coat and jeans with biker boots that were all wet and worn from use.

Hank would recognise his young friend anywhere, god knew he'd stayed with him long enough to see him in every shape and form- smiling, crying, sick, well- every mode imaginable.

But his hair was getting long and he had been dumped on his doorstep unconscious, injuries unknown.

Hank didn't even want to ask where the girl was. It had been two long months without a sound from anyone, no news reports or anything and then two hours ago, he'd got a call.

The guy on Troy's call card. His last-chance life line.

Troy had called it in and the next thing Hank knew, his buddy was depositing his broken body on his doorstep and disappearing into the night.

Hank knelt while he held the tears back, wondering how a man got to the age of fifty-two without crying then went all soft over a full-grown man.

Only this wasn't any full-grown man. This was Troy.

An easy-going, affable, charismatic guy that Hank had loved like his own son in the few months he'd been blessed with his presence.

The day he'd said goodbye; handing him over to unknown forces; had been the hardest of his life. Harder than losing his wife.

He'd know at the time that the young girl in his cab meant more to Troy than he, old Hank, could. But that didn't mean he didn't miss him. It didn't mean he didn't worry about him every day and night.

And although the call should have filled him with relief for knowing Troy was still in the world; seeing his hurt body before him this way didn't fill him with anything but pain.

"What did they do to you?" He whispered, stretching his arms to halfway hug and halfway shield the youngster from the night. "What did they do?"

He got him inside, with a bit of a fight with first the doorjamb, then the potted plant. He cussed Maude for ever bringing round the bloody greenery as he watched the pot pitch sideways and sail to the floor, clattering noisily as the large vine spread across the wooden tiles along with the peat.

"Darn thing…" He muttered, scowling at the mess, then plopping Troy on the sofa the best he could.

"You gotta wake up so you can tell me what's wrong…" He begged the unconscious boy, stroking his hair back to try and see if there was any damage to his face.

He was dehydrated, that much was obvious as Hank noted the dryness of his lips and shallow breaths. No bruises to his face, so he probably passed out from hunger and lack of water. Which meant they'd travelled for days without supplies.

"Where's your girl, Troy, huh? Where's the bewitching beauty?" He asked as he flopped the heavy man back onto the sofa cushion and went for his phone. He knew a young doctor, someone who could help without alerting the authorities.

Someone who could tell him if it was too late to save the young man fighting for life in his chair.

He prayed upward that it wasn't.

/

Gabi awoke with a start and looked around her with a sudden breath in through her nose, panicked as she didn't recognise her surroundings.

The sun was in the East, behind a mountain. The sand underneath her was red and the air was colder than she was used to.

"That's right. You're not in Florida anymore, honey-bun." A warm voice drawled. "The honeymoon is over."

She sat upright and sought the source of the voice, finding a cowboy sat up on his truck hood, eyeing her with interest.

"Why was I asleep on the ground?" She asked suspiciously, then a thought hit her right through the heart as she realised what was missing. "Where's Troy?"

"Who's Troy?" The cowboy asked, chewing a grass strand. "When I got here at day break, you were out cold, darlin'."

Gabi frowned confusedly. "Who are you?"

"I'm Duh-wayne." The way he said it might have been comical if she had half a clue as to what was going on. But right now she didn't know where she was, how she got there or what in the hell had happened to Troy.

Last night, they'd been so close to reaching safety. Troy had called in his favour, they were both exhausted and hungry beyond imagination, but they were yards from a safe house.

_What had happened?_

"Well, Duh-wayne," She repeated tersely. "Perhaps you'd like to tell me where the fuck I am…"

The mention of the word fuck had his eyes gleaming in a way she didn't like.

"You're in Louisiana of course." He grinned. "Without my hospitality, you'd have frozen on that there ground…" He continued and she noted the blanket he had covered her with.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." She acknowledged and stood, handing him back his blanket before wandering away, disorientated.

"Wait a second, pretty buns…" He called after, making her turn. "You can't go wanderin' off. You belong to me now."

She frowned, even more confused. "What? I'm a person, I don't belong to anyone."

"You do now." He cajoled merrily. "I won you last night."

"I thought you said you found me here…" She shook her head, wondering if he wasn't making sense or her light headedness meant she was missing something.

"I did, but only cuz your owner told me that's where he left y'all. He lost mighty big last night…" He grinned.

"Lost…what?" She wondered. Was he talking about Troy? She didn't remember anything except walking…and walking…toward their safehouse, in the dark…

"Poker, darlin'." Duwayne embellished. "Your old man is useless at his cards."

She opened her mouth and shut it, a million thoughts crossing her mind as to the possibilities. She felt like she was living the film the Hangover, trying to piece together forgotten memories.

"Wait…my…'old man'…" She hedged and he nodded. "What did he look like?"

"About six-four. Ageing badly, expensive coat." Duwayne described.

Her blood ran cold. "Denzel?" She whispered.

"Wa' that his name? I don' recall. I just know he won't be playing poker again anytime soon…"

"Why, what did you do?" She asked, frightened, wondering if this unknowing hero had saved her from her enemy.

"My friends had a little fun last night shall we say. He didn't like that he lost and no-one likes a sore loser…" Duwayne remarked.

"But there was another guy…a good looking, brown haired guy...about five-ten…" She beseeched.

"Get in the truck, sugar-plum." He directed, hopping down from the hood.

"You don't honestly think I'm going _with _you?" She laughed shortly.

"I won you fair and square." He folded his arms, deadly serious.

"I didn't belong to the guy that 'lost' me!" She argued.

"I need me a good lookin' piece o'ass around the house, now getdin." He repeated.

"Just tell me if there was another guy first…please…." She begged, wanting to know where Troy was.

Duwayne chewed his grass and thought, one brown eye open and the other closed. He was a skinny build, weedy and not too tall. She could probably have him out by herself if she had the right chance.

"I din't see no pretty-boy last night. I might've heard your old man talking about some guy though. Said he'd finished him for good. Said he wouldn't be bothering him again…" He offered.

"No!" She gasped, shocked, her hand going over her mouth.

"Quit stallin' and get in the truck, sugar. You can argue your way out of this on the drive home. Right now I want some breakfast." He mused.

Gabi got into his truck and prayed hard. Once for her safety, and again for Troy's.


	18. To Nashville

17.

"Will he be okay, Riley?" Hank asked his doctor friend worriedly as Troy lay in his old bed, still fast asleep, but having been looked over, at least.

"He's concussed, Hank. Looks like he took a few blows to his body and some to the head. I can't lie- he should be in hospital in case he's brain-damaged." Riley suggested.

"They might take him away. He's had a few troubles…" Hank explained.

"Then I'll stick around until he wakes. We got the saline drip on and the glucose to revive him. When he opens his eyes, we'll know more."

"He _will _open his eyes, won't he?" Hank wondered.

"Just a matter of time." Riley assured.

Hank thanked the blonde boy and went about making them refreshments while they waited. Into the early hours of the afternoon, Troy stirred and woke enough to let Riley check his responses.

"He awake?" Hank checked as the doctor came out of Troy's room.

"He's falling in and out of consciousness as the sugar and liquids take effect…" Riley assured. "Next time he wakes get him to sit up and let him sip warm milk. Then build up the solids- banana's something like that to start."

"Okay doc." Hank nodded gravely, taking a thankful sigh that his friend was stirring.

"All his signs are strong. They beat him up pretty good, but he's okay under the skin." He added.

"Thank god, in his mercy." Hank prayed.

"I gotta head off now. Take care of him." Riley smiled.

"Thank you, Riley. Thank you." He said twice in his gratitude.

Troy tossed and turned in his bed, rid of his boots and jacket, just clothed in his dirty jeans and a vest now, his unkempt face still strange but welcome all the same.

He was muttering his anxieties and Hank winced as he caught Gabi's name, wondering again where the girl was. Had she left him after all? Had she been captured by this Denzel they spoke of?

When Troy woke and sat upright, thrashing looks around him bewilderedly, Hank rose from his seat and spoke in calming tones.

"It's okay, son. You're home now…" He approached slowly, finding Troy's blue gaze just as bright and equally measuring as before.

"Who are you? Where am I?" He asked, brushing his hair from his eyes.

"It's me, boy. It's Hank." He introduced.

Troy squinted at him again, flipping through his mental list of names he knew, seemingly drawing a blank.

"I knew a Hank…" He murmured, then lay back down, clearly tired.

"It's me. Just wait; let's get some milk down you…" Hank soothed and helped him sit enough to get him to drink, trying to build his strength that was clearly sapped to ground zero.

"Is she okay? Is Gabi okay?" He asked then, looking up fearfully to the old man's kind gaze and finding his features pinched with worry.

"I don't know son. She didn't come back with you."

/

"You sit your pretty little behind right there…" Duwayne instructed as he brought Gabi into his kitchen and pointed to a big wooden chair.

"Duwayne, honestly, I don't have time for this, I have to find someone…" Gabi argued, running her hands into her curly hair. The bob was growing out, the curls back and unruly.

"I hope you ain't gonna say Mr. Right!" He beamed. "That's me right here."

"Duwayne, I have a guy, okay? I have a boyfriend and he's missing…possibly in danger!" She aggrieved.

"Oh, wait a darn minute, no…this can't be!" He complained, making her freeze with surprise at his outburst.

"What can't?" She asked.

"You can't be with someone else…you're supposed to be _mine_." He folded his arms, apparently sulking.

"Duwayne, you don't find a girlfriend by winning one in a poker game…" She pointed out gently, lifting her brows bemusedly.

"Well you do if you're me…" He mumbled sadly as he went over to put a kettle on his stove. She kind of felt bad for hurting his feelings then snapped back to reality.

"The guy you heard Denzel speak about…he's my guy. They might have hurt him…oh god, I hope he isn't…" She panicked suddenly, sitting down as her hands shook violently and she went white.

"Wait, purdy…" Duwayne soothed, filling her a glass with water. "Sip this slowww-ly, huh?" He instructed. "Don't jump ahead of the game."

"He lived in Nashville before, it's not that fare from here, right?" She began with hope.

"We ain't going nowhere." He shook his head.

"Please, Duwayne. You know I'm just a person, I didn't want to be part of a stupid game. Denzel kidnapped me and you're lucky enough to be the hero who saved me. But you have to let me go. I have to find out if my guy is…" She took another shaky breath.

Duwayne poured the hot drinks and brought them over, sitting at the table. "Your…guy…is alive." Duwayne shared, quietly.

"What! He is? How do you know?" She gasped.

"Ok don't sound so happy…" Duwayne grumbled.

"I'm sorry…oh, I'm sorry Duwayne. I'm sure you're a lovely guy, but Troy's the one, you know? He's my one." She beseeched.

"Oh alright, don't make me feel bad an' all…" He bemoaned. "When Denzel came to meet me in the desert before the game, he was talking about finishing someone off. I saw his henchman take a body out of the van. Nothin' misses my eye…" He added.

"Okay…." She nodded, glued to his words.

"I guessed he was dead…they threw him out in the dirt track and we all went to the cavern for the game." Duwayne relayed, Gabi's brown eyes keenly on him as he spoke.

"He was left for dead?" She whispered, close to tears. She briefly wondered where she had been at this point and how Denzel had intercepted them both but all she cared about was hearing the story.

"But when we came back…his body was gone. Denzel thought his guys had tied up the ends but they looked sheepish and didn't say anything. I'm guessing the vultures got him…"

"The vultures?" Her eyes widened and she sobbed.

"Naw, not the real vultures!" Duwayne huffed, annoyed at her emotional responses. "The ones who live in the shadows and pick up the dead and undead from the desert…"

"What do they do?" She wondered, fear constricting her heart.

"Save you, if you're lucky. Or bury you if you're not." He explained.

"And Denzel dumped me out here too, in the desert, but the vultures didn't get me." She guessed.

"Vultures don't touch young girls. Young girls always have a hero." He nodded knowingly. There was a little mystery flashing in his brown eyes but she didn't question it.

"I feel like I'm living some alternate reality…" She frowned quizzically.

"In this reality, do we get it on?" He asked with interest.

"No!" She denied sharply.

"Aw shucks…" Duwayne sighed, and then stood up. "You may as well get clean. Put something fresh on to wear…I'll make us food."

"Really? What do you want in return?" She asked cautiously.

"Nothin', baby belle. You go get cleaned up now an' don't worry. Your hero, Duwayne, he'll sort you out." He winked.

Gabi didn't know if she should trust him. But she didn't have much choice right now. If his intentions were crook then he would have shown them by now. Despite his odd ramblings he actually seemed like a half decent guy.

But where was Troy? They had been so close to safety and he'd been ripped from her arms. Ripped from her heart.

He'd been right all along; she could never have left him and survived. She could never have said goodbye.

/

"Where is she?" Troy paced the living room floor with a little more strength, trying to fight through the black hole in his mind to remember what happened the night they got split up.

"She'll come good, son." Hank assured. "She's a feisty one."

"Oh god, I love her so much!" He bemoaned, pausing as the pain struck through his chest, stilling him.

"And she'll come back, you'll see." Hank repeated.

"What if Denzel got to her? I'll never forgive myself…" He sighed.

"He got to you, that's for sure…" Hank remarked. Troy glared at him and he stopped talking at his intense look.

"It doesn't mean he got to her, too." He added.

"I can't remember what happened. I know we called your guy, we were heading for his place, in the desert…." He pressed his hands to his head begging for more. "It was so dry…god we hadn't eaten for days…"

"Troy, sit down and rest. You won't be any good to Gabi like this." Hank ordered.

Troy listened and sat, accepting the older man's hug around his shoulders.

"When they dropped you on my porch I didn't even know if you were alive. It damn near broke my heart. I'm not gonna sit here and think, even for _one _minute that your girl isn't okay. I had one fright this week, I don't need another."

Troy nodded and bowed his head, crying into his hands to release the pain and the confusion he felt.

_Where was she? What had they done with his girl?_

Maude's hug was petty comfort and Stella's offer to cut his hair and shave his beard was about the best thing he had going so he took them up on their friendship and sat with them while they fussed over him.

They could see his worry, they shared his confusion over events; but overall, they were glad to have him back.

"Don't leave again, gorgeous." Maude admonished.

"You really did grow a beard…" Stella remarked, shaving him clean with expertise.

"I can't forgive myself if she's hurt…" He murmured, lost in his own thoughts.

"She could kick ass, I bet." Stella nodded assuredly.

"Two months on the run with her. It was…exhilarating. Sure, sometimes we were scared, right at the end…" He paused. "But before that, we had a little fun, we had each other."

"She loves you too much to give up now, Troy." Stella said softly.

"I'm going to go looking for her." He vowed, brushing off the loose hair from his lap and standing, splashing his jaw clean of soap. The clean cut, smart face before him in the mirror was foreign. "Wow, buddy."

"See, gorgeous!" Maude applauded, hugging him again as he turned.

"We'll help you look, Troy." Stella promised.

"I just need you to stay here in case she comes home." He smiled gently.

There was no alternative. She had to come home.

/

"Duwayne, what is this dress?" Gabi asked, holding it up with a disgusted look. It was a tent of a dress, probably made for a pregnant person.

"I didn't say it was pretty…" He sulked again and she quickly learnt his nature. He just wanted friends.

"Fine…" She sighed, climbing into it and grabbing a belt to wrap around it in an attempt to stop it falling off. Her jeans and t-shirt were going into the wash and she missed the days she used to be able to dress at least a little glamorously; briefly wondering if Troy missed those days, too.

She could remember the last time they made love vividly. Being on the run added a strange kind of excitement to their already heady relationship and the thrill of being caught only added to their need. They'd been sleeping up against a tree, in the balmy southern night down in Florida and she had straddled him, digging her knees into the damp, dewy ground as she fought for friction.

He still loved her as strongly in those weeks, he still loved her as often as their time allowed; and now she would give anything to have that moment back. The one where they pronounced their love in every way possible.

"You look sad, sugar plum." Duwayne noted.

She looked up, fixed a smile on her face and then gave up, eating from the remains of the dinner he'd prepared and they had devoured earlier.

She curled up on his sofa with a plateful of scraps and sighed.

"I'm thinking about Troy." She admitted.

"What's it like, to be in love?" Duwayne asked.

"It's the most incredible thing in the world!" She enthused quickly, and then sobered. "Unless you can't be together. Then it sucks. Big time."

"That Denzel guy…he was following you?" Duwayne wondered next.

"Yeah, he wanted me, for a long time. And I'd fallen in love with Troy the minute we met…" She smiled at this. "But I stole Denzel's money. And he came after us. I tried to give Troy up; I tried to make him see he'd be better off without me…"

"But the boy wouldn't listen…" Duwayne inserted.

"He was determined to come with me and protect me. I _knew _this would happen! I _knew _he would get hurt! It's why I wanted him to stay behind…" She sighed.

"I wouldn't." Duwayne interjected, bringing her gaze up.

"What?" She asked.

"If you were my girl. I wouldn't be able to watch you go, either…" He said honestly.

"You don't know anything about me…" She argued.

"Well you sat here and told me you love him like crazy. There ain;t no guy I know who would let go of that. There ain't no woman who loves that deep." He added.

"There is. We all do…" She counter-acted softly.

"Not enough to put their life on the line for you. Look at what he saw, Purdy. He saw a girl who would give her everything to be with him…even her heart and soul." He sighed.

Gabi gasped at his deduction and felt warm, fond tears spill down her cheeks and she rose from her chair to hug her new friend quickly.

"You're one of the good guys, Duwayne." She assured shakily.

"Get some sleep, sugar. We got a long trip tomorrow." He said then.

"Where are you taking me?" She wondered quickly.

"To Nashville, o'course. I gotta meet this man who got you all riled up…"


	19. Don't Give Up

18.

"She's nowhere within a twenty mile radius and I can't get across the border…" Troy sighed as he crashed into the sofa in Hank's house.

"We'll get there, just give it time. You gotta get stronger first." Hank noted, seeing the young man's tiredness in his features.

"I'm already eating like an ox…" Troy laughed a little.

"Well, good. Keep at it…" The older man suggested.

Troy nodded and lay down to kip, letting comforting images of Gabi fill his mind. She was still out there somewhere he could feel it; and it didn't feel like she was in danger.

But if he thought he had missed her those three months she disappeared before, now he realised the pain he felt then didn't come anything close to what he felt now.

Now that he'd had those weeks with her, those months, those small chances to see what they could be like, together.

He shouldn't have lost them out there in the desert! He should have provided for them better and not let himself be attacked this way, laying Gabi open for anything.

He prayed again for her safety and his sanity, letting sleep overcome him.

"Troy, I made you pancakes…" Hank called and walked into find the youngster softly snoring on the sofa, rolled sideways. He smiled fondly at him and once again thanked up above for bringing him home safely, even if he did miss his girlfriend.

"Mmm…pancakes…" He moaned, wakening to the smell.

"Yup, gotta keep you fed up, my boy." Hank reasoned, handing the plate to him as he sat upright and stretched, then winced at his still- healing body.

"I hope to god Denzel doesn't come round here any time soon or I might find myself killing him with my bare hands…" Troy denoted.

"Not if I see him first…" Hank promised.

Troy lifted the corner of his lip in agreement, silently thanking the man for his support.

"Let's go to the border at dark; we got more chance of finding where the vultures lurk. They might know about your girl." Hank suggested, watching Troy eat with gusto.

"Thanks, Hank." He praised through his mouthful. "I owe you more than a few beers."

"Just to see you happy again is enough." Hank assured.

/

"When are we leaving?" Gabi asked keenly as she swifted into the kitchen and collected a mug of coffee that Duwayne passed over.

"Soon enough…" He drawled lazily, filling his plate with a selection of foods from his frying pan and then leisurely sloping to his table to eat.

"Can I have some bacon and eggs?" She wondered.

"Sure thing, darlin'. You could use a bit o'weight on." He grinned, baring his gappy teeth.

Gabi rolled her eyes and sat opposite her unlikely accomplice and ate.

"Thank you for breakfast. And for last night." Gabi hedged.

"S'no problem. So, what does this boy of yours do then?" Hank enquired interestedly.

"He's a taxi driver." Gabi stated softly.

Hank spat out his mouthful in shock and roared with laughter.

"You gotta be cotton-pickin' kiddin' me!" He checked.

"Why is that so funny?" She asked, annoyed at his reaction, her cheeks flaming red.

"Beautiful lady like you…" He shook his head and let out a low whistle.

"What I can't be in love with a taxi driver?" She challenged.

"I reck'n a cowboy is more your type of man." He nodded assuredly.

"Duwayne…" She warned.

"Just sayin'." He sniffed and began to eat again.

She smiled softly at his dejection and reached over to touch his hand, balled where he held his knife.

"If I was single and I lived down here then you know what? You're right. But I'm with someone. And you can judge him all you like but you don't know him." She added cagily.

"Alright pum'kin. I was just havin' a crack. No need to get all prim 'n' tell me off…" He muttered.

"I just want to go home." She stated.

"I know ya do. And I told ya I'd git ya there." He replied.

She looked up at him and pressed her lips together, wondering if he really would return her home.

"Thank you." They were the only words that made sense and she clung to them like a blanket.

She had nothing to pack, really. Once she was changed back into her clean clothes and had brushed her hair, she was ready to go. It filled her with a strange excitement to be heading home. She still didn't entirely trust Duwayne but he seemed as good as his word and that would do her.

Now all she had to do was find Troy.

/

"Nothing." Troy sighed as he pitched backward into the sofa, their late night trip to the border turning up a big blank.

"Don't give up yet," Hank warned him.

"I'm not giving up…" He argued impatiently.

"You know what you ought to do? You ought to go out and take your mind off things for a while. I know you're worried, so am I, but it won't do no good sitting ehre thinking about it. You can't spend your whole like wrapped up in this girl…" Hank commented gently.

Troy gave hima direct look under his dark alshes, his blue eyes steady and thoughtful.

"You're right. I'm pathetic." He accused.

"You're worried, rightly so. But you should at leats try and do something else tonight." Hank insisted.

"Stella wanted to play scrabble." He curled one side of his mouth up.

"Ok, son. Maybe I'll see you later." Hank nodded.

Troy went to the bar and used the outside stairs to get up to the flat, finding a warm greeting from his two favourite girls, other than Gabi.

"Hey." He smiled sadly.

"You didn't find her yet?" Stella looked heart-broken and quickly hugged him. "Come in, soldier."

Scrabble turned out to be an interesting evening. Stella was surprisingly good and Troy agreed internally that he had under-estimated her use of words. She beat him hands down and he submitted good-naturedly.

"You did amazing, Stel." He griined.

"Will you stay, when she comes back?" She asked, a little hopefully he noted.

"If we can find work…" He bargained.

"I hope you find her, Troy." Maude touched his shoulder.

"Me too." He tipped his head to his chest sadly for a moment and then looked up as Billy Joel came onto the wireless. "Dance, Maude?"

She smiled slowly, his mischievous glint one she couldn't resist.

"Why, of course," She replied.

"I'm glad I met you both. I don't know what I would have done the last few days without you…" He complimented as he danced with the older lady and Stella looked on with an affectionate smile.

"You brough sunshine to our lives, Troy. Never forget that." Maude replied seriously, hugging the young man. He hugged her back, grateful for her comfort.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"She'll be home, soon." Maude murmured back, sure of her words.

/

"Are we there yet?" Gabi was keen to find out as she wriggled in her seat and got antsy.

"Nope. We gotta stop for a few hours so I can sleep." Duwayne announced, laying back in his seat.

"We're going to sleep here? In your truck?" She asked.

"Yup. You wanna be my cuddle-cushion?" He flicked an eye open hopefully.

"No!" She said outright. "I'm going to look in the mini-mart for some food and clothes."

"Fine, suit yourself…" He tipped his hat over his face and folded his arms.

"Duwayne?" She called gently, nervously.

"Yup…"

"Do you have twenty dollars please?" She asked.

"Twenty dollars?" He tipped up his hat. "Do you know what that could buy me?"

"Sex with a stranger?" She replied knowingly. "You know I can't do that. But I can pay you back, with interest."

"It could buy me a burrito, too. Will you get me some food while you're out?" He requested, flipping off two bills for her.

"Sure…" She agreed easily, sliding out of the truck.

The mart actually had a decent selection of clothes and she picked up a camel-coloured short all-in-one that buttoned down the front and had a little cotton belt. The toilets served as a rudimentary shower room and she cleaned up the best she could from the day's drive, changing into the becoming outfit.

"Gabriella Montez, whatever happened to the glory days…" She murmured, slicking on red lipstick and paying for the rest of her shopping.

She paused at the pay phone and dropped her sack to the ground, berating herself for not thinking of it earlier.

_She could call Hank!_

Quickly, with shaking hands, she dialled his number and waited with her breath held as the buzzing line tried to connect.

"Please, god…" She begged.

"Hello?" Hank answered and Gabi felt the relief course through her.

"Hank! It's Gabi." She gasped, so shocked at hearing his voice that she burst into spontaneous tears.

"Gabi? Are you okay, where are you?" Hank asked immediately.

"I'm at a mini mart…I don't know where…I'm with a guy, he's bringing me home…" She tumbled out the words quickly, then thought of a question, the only question.

"Is Troy with you?" She asked.

"What in rat's hell are you doin' pum'kin?" A lazy drawl asked behind her, pressing the receiver into the cradle and turning her toward the voice.

"Duwayne!" Gabi shrieked, hitting him in the chest.

"I told y'all I'd getcha home to your man. Why'd'you hav'ta go an' make it complicated?" He wondered.

"How is that complicated? He could be there! I could have found out if he's ok!" She argued, tears streaming from her eyes as she sobbed at his interruption.

"Nobody gotta know where you at or why I'm helping…" He lifted a brow, dragging her back to the truck. "I told you to trust me to get you home."

"I do!" Gabi argued, so hurt at being so close to knowing if Troy was okay. "But I have people who care about me, too."

"Don't mess it up, prettykin. You try that again and you're on your own…" Duwayne warned, looking either side of him before he got back into the truck and she sat in the cab with him, rooting in the bag for a drink.

_What was up with that?_ She wondered of her partner in crime. Now Hank would be even more worried about her and she hadn't been able to find out what she _really _wanted to know.

After a few hours, Duwayne awoke and ate some food then started the truck up and carried on his intended journey, leaving Gabi looking out of the window with hope and wonder.

_Would she ever get to see Troy again?_


	20. No Going Back

Well this is the last chapter! Hope you've enjoyed it and I had fun posting it every day so the next one might not be daily updated but I'll try and do it twice a week or something!

Next up: Nanny Required

19.

"She was here?" Troy stalked up and down the forecourt of the gas station, willing her to appear.

"This is where she called from…" Hank affirmed. "I'm sorry, son." He sighed.

"No! This can't be it!" Troy argued frustrated. "She was _so _close!"

"She _is _close, Troy. Maybe she's headed home right now. We ought to get back, in case." Hank suggested, trying to shoo Troy back into the truck.

"I want to have her in my arms again, Hank…" He beseeched.

"I know." Hank agreed.

Troy sighed, turning around as if he might have missed her, and then slowly padded back to the truck, sitting dejectedly inside.

She was alive, that the main thing. She was alive and she was safe, because she had called to say she was. That meant Denzel hadn't got to her and she was ok.

But Hank had mentioned she was with a man- something Gabi had told him in her short conversation.

It filled him with love to think she had called Hank first; but he wanted to know who this guy was. Had she been hurt? Taken hostage? Raped?

He shuddered at the thought of it and then shook the idea from his mind. When he found her again- and he would- he was going to hold her in his arms and never let go.

He was going to tell her exactly how much she meant to him.

"I'll bet she's sitting in the porch chair waiting for you, when we get back…" Hank tried to console him.

"Maybe." Troy nodded sadly.

The porch chair was empty as they made their way back up to the house and Troy couldn't hide it anymore. Not for the first time, he ached for his separation from Gabi and the confusing events that followed, desperate for something to come back to him and picture the pieces together.

"Don't give up." Hank patted his back as they went inside.

"I won't ever." Troy promised tiredly, trekking up to his room and collapsing on his bed.

He wouldn't ever give up because he couldn't imagine life without her. It just wasn't possible.

/

"Duwayne, I'm not a mathematician but I reckon I should be close to home by now…" Gabi lifted her brows as they passed signs within Nashville city.

"I just gotta see a guy and then I'll get you to your prince." Duwayne promised.

She took an excited breath in at the news she was almost home.

"Can you not drop me off first and do your errand afterwards?" She asked with annoyance.

"Hey, pretty buns. Remember who drove one hundred and eighty miles out of county to get you home." He hoarsed beside her.

"Sure, sorry." She murmured, chastised. He was right. She _should _be grateful. Only she was so desperate to get to Hank and find out if he knew anything about Troy, that not much else registered with her.

"It won't take long, darlin'." He assured.

"I owe you a thank you." She hedged gently.

"All in a day's work…" Duwayne dismissed.

"I mean it, Duwayne. At least let me buy you a meal and a beer or do something in return…" She offered, wondering what he might ask for.

"Well…now that you mention it, there is somethin' you could do…" He frowned.

"What's that?" She asked.

"Well I'm meeting this old friend of mine and it sure would pickle his dick if he thought you were my gurl-friend." He drew the word out into one long sound.

"I'm not kissing you." She folded her arms.

"I dint ask yer too, did I?" He scoffed.

"Or doing any sexual favours…" She added.

"You just gotta hang off my arm and look pretty. Look convincing." He posed.

She eyes him with a squint. "You really want to pretend?"

"Sure would make him rile…" He cackled to himself.

"And he's not a weirdo or anything? I don't want this getting back to anyone I know." She frowned.

"You really think you an' me walk in the same circles, doll?" He wondered.

"Okay, good point." She agreed. "Then I have three conditions."

"Shoot…" He welcomed.

"One, no kissing." She announced.

"We just bin' through this…"

"Two, no sexual favours." She repeated.

"Ah know…" He sighed.

"Three…you're a good man, Duwayne. Any girl would be lucky to have you."

He turned and squinted his eyes at her, wondering if she was telling the truth.

"I mean it. I wouldn't have lived without you. I wouldn't have gotten home." She added.

"Well don't go tellin' everybody what a hero I am, I can't take all the press an' shit…" He mumbled, making her chuckle. "We're here, darlin'." He added.

Gabi looked up and saw a cracked down old barn that had been shape-shifted into some kind of whiskey bar. It was the middle of the day and it still felt like midnight, such was the isolation of the building. She couldn't see any other cars outside and she flicked Duwayne a quick look.

"He'll be here in a sweet minute, angel," He assured, shutting off his engine and waiting a few feet away from the main parking lot.

"Okay." She nodded.

Another vehicle drew up. She couldn't see properly because there was so much dust, but two men vanished inside the hut while she squinted to gain sight of them.

Duwayne rolled down the hill to the car park and popped the door open, climbing out and walking beside Gabi as she made her way across to the bar.

"Just put your hand on my elbow, huh?" He asked, licking his lips.

She nodded and linked with him as he asked, taking a nervous breath as she flung her curls over her shoulder.

"Just relax, sweetpea. Not long now." He soothed.

They entered the darkly lit space and Gabi fought to see in the dusky room.

"You here, old friend?" Duwayne called.

"Right here!" A voice called back and Gabi frowned, wait a minute, wasn't that…?

"I got myself a beautiful girl and I just had to show her off…" Duwayne grinned, parading Gabi onto the mahogany floor toward the bar where two figures hovered. One smaller, stockier man, in his fifties, one she knew and almost fainted at seeing.

_Hank!_

The other figure made her knees give way and she thought she had imagined him, so shocked was she to see him stood beside the older man.

"Oops, pretty…" Duwayne caught her, right before Troy strode forward and grasped her into his arms, catching her fall.

"Gabi?" He begged, brushing her face with a gentle hand. She squinted at him, frowned, then went limp in his arms as she really did pass out and he looked to the cowboy, then his girl in question.

"She's been non-stop chatterin' bout you…" Duwayne mused, hugging Hank like two brothers might.

"Where've you been, Duwey?" Hank sighed, smiling.

"I was kinda wrapped up keepin' this one safe…" Duwayne remarked. "She's a real live-wire."

Troy lifted Gabi into his arms and flicked his worried eyes over her face, then her body, checking for signs of damage.

"Was she hurt?" He asked the cowboy.

"Not on my watch." Duwayne tipped his hat.

"You were the safe-house?" Troy clicked quickly, surprised.

The other man nodded, smiled a warm smile. "I promised Hank I'd get ya both home alive and I did."

"If you had Gabi, who had me?" Troy wondered.

"Well I had to get rid of you somehow to get her out and Denzel did me a favour knocking you out…" Duwayne explained. "I'm just sorry you got hurt an' all."

"It's okay…" Troy allowed, still catching up.

"I had to win her in a card game. She wouldn't come easily." He embellished.

"She is stubborn as fuck." Troy swore, holding her tightly.

"But she was alright once she knew I didn't bite. And actually, you got an amazing lady there, fella. She loves you to your bones." He described.

"I know. I do, too." Troy promised.

"You look after her." Duwayne added.

"You bet I will…" Troy murmured.

"We should get that beauty home…" Hank suggested.

Troy gave her another worried look and then looked to Duwayne. "I owe you cowboy."

Duwayne smiled. "Well she paid me her debt so me an' you will have to have a rollover…"

"Suits me. Anytime, buddy." Troy assured.

"Thanks, I'll call you on that…" Duwayne tipped his hat. "Look…she might be upset she didn't get to say goodbye…" He warned Troy.

"That would be just like her…" Troy smiled fondly at Gabi's limp form.

"Tell her I'll be by soon to take her up on her dinner offer." He winked.

"I sure will. Thanks, again." Troy added.

"See ya, partner." Duwayne shook Hank's hand and the two of them chatted before Hank jumped in the truck and drove the couple home.

It took half an hour for Gabi to come around, her eyes focusing unsurely around her as Troy cradled her in his lap.

"You're real…" She reached for his face and touched, her face creasing with happiness before she burst into tearS, quickly waking to throw her arms around his neck.

"As real as I can be…" He mused, catching her close.

"I thought you were dead, I thought you were hurt!" She babbled.

"I'm okay, now. I'm okay…" He soothed her tears, rubbing her small back with his big, gentle hands.

"I don't know what happened; I just knew you were gone!" She gasped, then. "Duwayne!"

"I met him." Troy smiled. "He's a real cool guy."

"I never got to say goodbye!" She cried again, making him chuckle.

"He said you might mention that."

"I owe him dinner" She pouted.

"He said he's coming back to take you up on that." He explained.

"Oh, Troy…" She sighed, hugging him tightly again. "Did they hurt you?"

"I just got used as a punch bag, it's nothing…" He assured.

"Duwayne told me Denzel is out of the picture…" She hedged.

"Thank god. Thank god you're safe. I thought I'd never get to hold you again…I hated myself for letting you go." He husked.

"It's not your fault. You were amazing, Troy." She assured.

"Don't let go…" He begged of her arms around his neck, her fingers playing into his hair.

"I won't ever." She smiled against his neck.

/

He carried her up to bed and snuggled in beside her, just glad to have her back, still coming to terms with it. A few hours ago he had gone out with Hank, presuming they had a lead, not actually expecting to see her. When he had, his body had the same reaction as hers, weakening his knees; only his protective streak won out when she collapsed and now he was so thankful he had gone out.

He'd come home with the love of his life.

Gabi stirred and snuggled him, leaning up to kiss his lips softly as he lowered himself to the bed, dressed in his boxers and tee having rid his jeans.

He smiled as his lips ached in missing her kiss and he gently kissed her back, the contact becoming longer and more demanding as they both woke up to having each other again.

"I love kissing you…" He sighed, tightening his arms around her and feeling her cuddle closer.

She deepened the kiss, wriggling to brush her body up against his, reminding herself of his firm, unrelenting muscle.

"Help me…" She begged, trying to untie her waist belt and struggling.

"This is a beautiful little outfit…" He smiled, eyeing her shapely legs as his tender fingers quickly untied the belt and he slowly unbuttoned the front of the creation.

"It's not easy to get out of…" She complained, finally kneeling to strip it off, kicking it down the bed with annoyance.

"Wow, honey…" He grinned, amused.

"It's not funny…" She protested, leaning back into his body, wanting more.

It came slowly, not like their old flaming urgency; slow like a dripping tap. Stroking, touching, and remembering. Gabi let her hands learn his planes again, wriggled beneath him as he rolled over and pressed into her curves.

"It's been so long…" She murmured, wanting to feel their connection again, distraught that it wasn't there yet, despite their foreplay.

"Hey…" He paused, brushing his thumbs down her face, meeting her brown gaze, seeing her inner fight.

"I'm sorry, I should be okay with this…I should be…" She grasped for words.

"You went through an ordeal Gabi. There's no rush for this to happen, okay?" He assured.

She nodded, sipping kisses from him, just making out and enjoying his muscular body atop hers while they stroked and touched again.

"Let me run you a bath…" Troy suggested, kissing her softly one more time before scooting from the bed to go and run a bath for her.

Gabi sat up and ran her hands over her face, trying to wipe away whatever it was that was stopping her enjoying sex with her man.

"You wanted this so much when you didn't have it…" She whispered to herself.

He helped her from the bed, like a perfect gentleman and escorted her through to the bathroom, his appreciative gaze flickering down her naked body as he helped her into the warm water.

"Come in with me?" She begged, knowing the bath would hold two.

"Really?" He grinned, delighted. "I'd love to. But let me go on the bottom huh, then you can sit on my lap…"

His suggestion made her giggle and she settled into his lap, knees bent and feet against the bath bottom so she could face him. She painted his face with bubbles from the foam.

"That suits you!" She laughed, her wrists captured with his tenderly as he grinned inanely into her face.

"God, I missed this." He admitted.

"Me, too." She smiled, leaning forward to kiss him, her nipples brushing his chest and reacting to the contact, the cold air puckering her skin.

He smiled and dipped his head, warming them with his tongue, eliciting a needful moan from her lips.

"Troy…" She breathed.

He took large scoopfuls of water and rained them down her body, letting his hands wash over her dampened skin, too, reminding her of touch and tenderness with no hidden agenda.

Gabi let his non-pressurised foreplay relax her, finally twisting in the bath to lay against his chest, floating in the water as they enjoyed just being close.

Soon his hands brushed down her curves and started up a humming symphony of want; leading his fingers lower, to her core, where he touched some more, so gently that she felt like she was in a dream.

"What about you..?" She whispered, sighing out at the pleasure he reigned deep within her.

"I'm good…" He smiled, waiting for her to really let go to his touch.

Her arms reached behind her, plunging her fingers into his hair as she stretched and quivered against her climax, leaving him smiling widely at her reaction.

"Oh, wow." She said, shivering in his arms as the water cooled quickly.

"You cold, baby?" He asked, climbing out of the bath and drying them both, cuddling her to him.

He took her back to the bed and spooned her until she fell asleep, happy in the knowledge that she was back in his arms, where she belonged.

"Do I have to eat?" Troy smiled into her neck, kissing there and grasping her backside gently with his hands.

"What's the alternative?" She enquired, stirring the eggs in the skillet.

"Make love to you, right now." He suggested, dropping a kiss to her shoulder.

She paused, pressed back against him and sighed.

"Two seconds." She breathed and he grinned, lifting his hands up to cup her breasts, very gently thumbing her nipples.

"Very nice two seconds they were, too." He decided, taking over the stirring and letting her duck and twist to kiss him, and she touched his chest.

"I'm not ruining my eggs…" She warned.

"I didn't ask you to." He husked with a warm voice.

"Good, they're ready, now let's dish…" She stated.

He managed to behave while Hank was eating with them, but when the older man left to carry out his errands, Troy's glint returned.

"You look sexy as hell running around like that…" He beamed.

"Like what?" She enquired, placing the plates into the sink.

"Like you want to be made love to…" He spoke into her ear and she gasped at his sneaking up behind her.

"Has it been that long?" She smiled teasingly, stretching her arms up as his hands ran up her body and landed back on her breasts.

"I was interrupted…" He reminded her, taking advantage of his position to rub his growing attraction against her backside.

"That's not right…" She shook her head, sighing out as he kissed her neck over and over.

"Damn wrong." He agreed, kissing her as they staggered back toward his room, the stairs landing Troy on his backside as he went up first and tripped, then they stayed their, grinding against each other until they had to move again, over-taken by their passion.

"No…wait…" She giggled as his weight pushed her over and they collapsed to the floor, a tangle of kisses and touches.

"You're determined to get carpet burn…" He smirked, helping her up.

"You're the one who can't stand up…" Gabi teased back, earning her a tight hug around her middle from Troy's strong arms. He picked her up against his body and carried her to the bed, bending forward as he lay her down, then crawled onto the surface with her.

For a moment, he pulled away from their tonguing kiss to look into her eyes.

"I meant what I said that day on the hill, Gabi." He whispered, slowly peeling away her layers and kissing her skin as he revealed it.

"I know…" She sighed, pulling off his clothes, leaving them naked, skin-on-skin, hot and rubbing against each other, ready to join.

"Then let me ask you again…what I asked you before…" He murmured into her ear, sinking into her body with a thrust.

Her hands threaded into his toffee hair as she arched up and cried out.

"The answer is yes, Troy." She managed to cast out throatily.

"I didn't ask yet…" He growled, thrusting again, trying to take control.

"Sorry…" She breathed, smiling a little, letting him have the control he wanted.

He bent to kiss her nipple, leaned up to kiss her mouth, felt her rise beneath his punishing drives and knew she was the only one he could ever be with.

"Will you marry me Gabriella Montez?" He asked as he connected them again, going deep into her welcoming body.

Gabi gripped his bulging arms and met his strokes, each and every one, feeling his question roll up her body and burst happiness through her heart.

"You know I will," She answered, tears in her eyes as he continued his punishment, bringing her body to the very edge of ecstasy, then pushing it over.

"I love you so much, tigress." He murmured, collapsing against her on the bed, holding her tight.

"I love you. Forever." She echoed his words from months ago, making him smile.

He'd have never thought that day she jumped into his taxi that he'd end up finding love like this. He had never really thought about finding love at all until she had drawn him in with her unique looks and intriguing personality.

As he laid on his back and brought her into their familiar cuddle, he smiled at the strangeness of it all.

"I'm gonna marry you." He said softly, bemused.

"Uh-huh" She kissed his chest.

"There's no going back, then…" He teased, tipping his head so he could look at her.

"I know." She replied confidently.

"You're sure you want to be hooked up with an ex-con?" He checked, mock seriously.

"I'm sure. Are you?" She asked back.

"I'm sure." He replied.

"Then quit talking and kiss me, Bolton," She demanded, leaning up to do just that.

He groaned and let her lips revive his appetite. "I'll never get fed up of this…"

"We'll be the world's first randy pensioners…" Gabi giggled as he rolled over toward her and kissed her neck.

"Amen to that."


End file.
